Runaway Lightning
by Psychopithicus
Summary: Set in Red Witch’s Misfitverse. Follow Derrick Bolris as he embarks on nine months worth of adventures alongside his new teammates, the Runaways. Dimension-hopping, two new members, and confrontations with New York heroes are just a few of such adventures
1. Just Saw the News Today

**How's everyone doing? Welcome to my second fic set in Red Witch's Misfitverse. This is a sequel to my previous story, Bolt from the Darkness, so if you want to see the events preceding this story, go check that out.**

**This story is set during the nine months between two of Red Witch's stories, namely Days of Our Mutant Lives and The Final Chapter. Oh, and a little warning: you actually might not be seeing much of the X-Men or Misfits in this, but some of them will show up. That I garuntee.**

**DISCLAIMER: I own Derrick Bolris. This Misfitverse belongs to Red Witch, the characters of G.I. Joe belong to Hasbro, and everything else belongs to Marvel.**

Chapter 1: Just Saw the News Today

Los Angeles, California. Formerly controlled by a group of villains calling themselves "the Pride", their fall caused a massive power vacuum to appear. New York's colossal cast of supervillains attempted to fill this vacuum, but found their attempts repulsed by a group of young teenagers.

The Runaways, better known to some as "the Pride's kids".

In truth, however, the latter title was no longer accurate. Recently, Count Dracula enlisted the Runaways' help in clearing his name after he had been falsely accused of being responsible for vampire-related attacks. While there, however, they met an electrokinetic mutant filled with anger and depression over humanity's racism and the recruitment attempts of the mutant teams known as the X-Men and Misfits.

Derrick Bolris stared at the television in the Runaways' lair beneath the La Brea Tar Pits Museum. Brown eyes stared through blonde bangs that contrasted brown hair, a dark leather jacket and sand-colored pants keeping him partially warm. Next to him was a young girl with longer brown hair and a childish pink hat on her head.

"Finally," Derrick sighed. "The X-Men disbanded. Now they won't be trying to drag anyone into their stupid team."

"Yeah!" cheered eleven-year-old Molly Hayes. "Wolverine is stinky and smelly and—"

"Don't tell me you're going into that rant _again_, Mol," blonde-haired Chase Stein sighed. "Not that it's not true."

"What could have made them disband?" asked a girl with a wild black ponytail, Nico Minoru.

"No clue," Derrick shook his head.

"Even if we did know, why would we care?" asked purple-haired Gertrude 'Gert' Yorkes, stroking her nose ring-wearing dinosaur Old Lace. "New York isn't exactly our business. Besides, just because we got a free ride back to LA from the X-Men doesn't make them our friends."

"Yeah, I guess so," said a blonde girl named Karolina Dean.

"And we've got enough problems already," Nico said, "what with all those New Yorkers jumping coasts."

"Tell me about it," Chase groaned. "The Wrecking Crew last week, that Flag-Smasher nut the week before that, Batroc the Loser the week before _that_...seriously, come on! Don't we get a break?!"

"In local news," a reporter on television began, "New York supervillain Doctor Octopus has been spotted in Los Angeles."

"Chase…" Derrick glared. "Never. Ever. Ask. That. Question."

****

"Ugh," groaned the hooded Cobra Commander, slamming his forehead against the wall. "Why did Black Tarantula suggest we hire _Deadpool_ of all people?!"

As if to illustrate, a man in a red-and-black jumpsuit appeared out of nowhere in a flash of red light.

"Hiya, CC!" greeted Deadpool. "Since Destro's still recovering from the flying wedgie I gave him last week, I wanted to see if you were available!"

"I'm overjoyed," groaned Cobra Commander. "But, I do have a job for you, Deadpool."

"Yay!" Deadpool cried happily. "Do I get my pet baby T-rex yet?"

"Uh, no," Cobra Commander replied. "With the disbandment of the X-Men, there are opportunities to create mutant super-soldiers everywhere, though those blasted Misfits will still oppose Cobra. That is where you come in."

"Ooh, party time?" Deadpool asked.

"Yes, Deadpool," Cobra Commander said. "If what our sources say is true, and that the leader of the Misfits really has departed for an extended time in Japan, it will definitely be 'party time'."

"CONFETTI FOR EVERYONE!" screamed Deadpool, throwing his guns into the air while carelessly letting bullets launch from them and shoot everything in range.

****

Avengers HQ, New York City.

Here, the most highly-respected superhero team lived until trouble arose. Whether it was in their local New York or in another country altogether, the Avengers would be there. Founded by the World War II super-soldier Captain America and Nick Fury, director of S.H.I.E.L.D, the team took various members under their wing.

At the moment, Captain America himself stood atop the building, overlooking the city. Behind him came a man in red-and-gold armor and a green-skinned woman with dark green hair.

"Hey, Cap," greeted Tony Stark, known publicly by both his own name and the name of Iron Man, "we need to show Jen here around. What are you doing, anyway?"

"Just thinking," Captain America responded. He looked to the green-skinned woman. "You must be Jennifer Walters."

"That's me," nodded Jennifer. "As an Avenger, I'll be known as She-Hulk."

"She-Hulk?" Captain America asked, receiving a nod from the Emerald Giantess. "How did that happen?"

"She needed blood from her cousin," Iron Man explained, "who just so happens to be Bruce Banner, a.k.a the Hulk. And since the Hulk's blood is gamma-irradiated…"

"She has the Hulk's strength, but none of his anger," Captain America nodded.

"Actually, I'm not as strong as my cousin," She-Hulk corrected.

"Either way, you'll no doubt be an invaluable asset to the team," Captain America said. "Despite Warbird's enhanced strength, another heavy-hitter should make fights a lot easier."

Lightning suddenly burst from the roof, just behind the three Avengers.

"Damn it, Thor!" a woman swore. "Watch what you're aiming at!"

"Thor must have gotten drunk again," Iron Man guessed.

"Tony, you and Thor have got to be the worst drunkards I've ever seen," She-Hulk shook her head.

"What makes you say that?" Iron Man asked.

"Two words, Tony," She-Hulk smirked. "Entertainment Nightly. And, of course, who could forget the Technarchy invasion?"

"Yes, that was when we first teamed up with the X-Men and the Misfits," Captain America nodded, "along with Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four."

"Are you guys going to offer Spider-Man the chance to be an Avenger?" She-Hulk asked. "He would be such a great addition to the team, no matter what Janet thinks."

"I don't know, Jen," Iron Man answered. "He's always been a bit of a loner."

"Besides," Captain America interjected, "we have our own problems."

"Like what?" She-Hulk asked.

"Have you ever heard of 'the Pride'?" Captain America asked.

"Wait, is this about those kids from LA?" She-Hulk asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Exactly," Captain America nodded. "Those kids shouldn't be risking their lives like that. They shouldn't be taking the law into their hands."

"Correct me if I'm wrong, Steve," a man dressed in purple interrupted as he came onto the rooftop, "but aren't the X-Men and Misfits around the same age as the Pride's kids? You don't seem to have a problem when _they _fight supervillains."

"That's not the point, Hawkeye," Captain America shook his head. "We need to get to Los Angeles and convince those kids to give up crime-fighting. But, until some sort of trouble comes up in LA, we have other priorities."

Another bolt of lightning burst through the ceiling, nearly electrocuting Hawkeye.

"And one of those is getting Thor sober," Iron Man pointed out.


	2. Invited to the Sanctum Sanctorum

**DISCLAIMER: I own Derrick Bolris. This Misfitverse belongs to Red Witch, and so does Benny Barumpbump (I think...not a hundred percent sure). G.I. Joe belongs to Hasbro, and everything else belongs to Marvel.**

Chapter 2: Invited to the Sanctum Sanctorum

Just outside the La Brea Tar Pits, a machine resembling a giant green frog became visible as it leapt into the tar pit and sank, landing in the Hostel. Groaning, the Runaways tumbled out, though Molly was completely ecstatic.

"That was so freakin' cool!" Molly cried. "We got to fight another animal-themed bad guy!"

"Molly, the bad doctor whacked Der upside the head with one of his metallic pool noodles," Gert pointed out as Karolina and Old Lace carried a barely-conscious Derrick out of the Leapfrog.

"Yeah, but he's got such a cool theme!" Molly cried. "Animal villains are awesome! I'd give freakin' anything to punch a Giraffe-Man!"

"Not so loud, Mol," Derrick groaned, a hand to his head. "My head's been cracked open by a fat guy with tentacles."

"Yeah, you're pretty new to this for someone who lived in NY," Chase snickered.

"Maybe that's because I've never actually _fought _a supervillain other than Morbius while in New York?" Derrick sneered.

"Relax," Nico said, putting a hand on Derrick's shoulder. "You'll get used to it."

Old Lace suddenly stuck her nose into the air, sniffing.

"What is it, girl?" Gert asked. "What do you smell?"

"I swear, if the Misfits stowed in our ride again…" Chase snarled, but Old Lace made a dash away and went into one of the Hostel's rooms.

"Why's she going into Nico's room?" Karolina asked.

"That's something I'd like to know," Nico said.

"Don't look at me," Gert said. "Hang on a sec, she's coming back."

Old Lace returned with a purple-and-black envelope in her jaws.

"What is it?" Karolina asked.

"Covered in raptor spit," Chase answered.

"Seriously, what is it?" Nico asked as Old Lace handed her the letter. "Wait…it's addressed to _me_. And there's no return address."

"What, you got a secret admirer now?" Chase asked, Molly clapping a hand over her mouth.

Karolina jerked slightly, accidentally dropping Derrick, who grumbled incoherently as an endlessly-apologizing Karolina picked him up.

"Only one way to find out," Gert said. "Better open it, Nico. We'll be ready."

Nico opened it, and somehow, a letter that was folded over several times emerged from the letter and unfolded…by itself. It hovered in front of Nico's face, just far enough away for her to read it.

"What's it say?" Karolina asked, holding onto Derrick with a slightly tighter grip.

"It says 'Dear Nico Minoru'," Nico began, "'My name is Doctor Stephen Strange'—"

"Doctor Strange?" Derrick asked.

"That's what it says," Nico said. "Why, you know him?"

"No, but I've heard of him," Derrick answered. "He calls himself the 'Sorcerer Supreme', and he has the most inept apprentice of all time. Lives in New York."

"Don't stop!" Molly said. "What's it say?"

"'I cordially invite you to a convention of magic-users'," Nico read. "'There, we and others can interact and perhaps learn from one another. Should you choose to accept, please place your thumb on the emblem at the bottom of this letter. Sincerely, Doctor Strange'. That's all it says." Nico finished.

"The guy's asking you to hang out with him?" Karolina asked.

"I'm not sure you should go," Derrick said.

"Yeah, I'm with Derrick," Gert agreed. "What's to say Strange doesn't just want to take your staff?"

"I don't know, guys," Nico said, "I think it's a chance worth taking. I need every opportunity I can find to get better with the Staff of One. Why not take this one?"

"Because he's an adult," Chase said. "Adults have lied to us since we were little kids, remember?"

"Guys, I trust Nico," Karolina said. "If she thinks it's all right, it's all right."

"I still don't like it," Derrick growled.

"Quit worrying, Derrick," Nico scolded. "What can a guy with a name like Stephen Strange do?"

"I hear his apprentice once turned Wolverine into a unicorn," Derrick pointed out.

"SERIOUSLY?!" Molly cried happily. "THAT IS SO FREAKIN' AWESOME!"

"Well, if his apprentice can do _that_, think of what _he _can do," Gert said.

"Good point," Nico said. "Molly, can you grab on? I'll need your help in case Strange tries something."

"Okay!" Molly said, grabbing onto Nico's leg.

"You sure you'll be fine?" Derrick asked.

"I thought I told you to stop worrying," Nico said, though she couldn't keep a smile off of her face at his concern. "Must be the concussion."

****

Two minutes later, at the home of Doctor Strange, Nico and Molly appeared in a whirling vortex of purple. A goateed man in a purple cloak greeted them, a teenage boy by his side.

"Welcome, Nico Minoru, wielder of the Staff of One," said the man. "I am Doctor Strange, the Sorcerer Supreme."

"And I'm future comedic superstar, Benny Barump—buuuuuuh," Doctor Strange's companion began, jaw dropping upon catching sight of Nico.

"Welcome to the Sanctum Sanctorum," Doctor Strange said. He then looked to Benny. "Benny? Benny, stop drooling. Do not give Wong more work than he absolutely has to do."

"Oh, dear God," Nico groaned. "Here come the flashbacks to Father Flanagan's Home for Unwanted Goth Kids."

"What is she doing here, though?" asked Doctor Strange, pointing at Molly.

"She's here in case you decide to pull a fast one on me," Nico answered.

"First of all, I would never go back on my word," Doctor Strange said. "Secondly, even if I did, I doubt a little girl could protect you from anything."

"Hey!" Molly yelled. "Who are you calling little, goat-face?!"

"Er, anyway," Doctor Strange said, ignoring Molly's insult, "Benny will show you to…Benny, would you care to stop drooling? You are making a puddle whose size could possibly rival New York itself."

"Huh?" Benny stammered. "Oh, uh, right. Want me to hold your—"

"Touch me and I'll have Molly punch you through the wall," Nico warned, Molly punching her fist into her hand, the latter's eyes glowing pink.

"Please just go," Doctor Strange groaned, and Benny (nervously) led Nico and Molly away. Seconds after they left, another vortex appeared, this one depositing another raven-haired teenage girl. "Ah, a new arrival. Welcome, Wanda Maximoff, Witch of Scarlet."

"Sure, thanks," said Wanda Maximoff, the Misfit codenamed Scarlet Witch. "So, where exactly do I stay?"

****

**It's fun to play on the fact that generally every teenage guy falls for Nico. Heh heh heh...**


	3. Meeting of the Witches

**And now for what may be Benny's biggest screw-up yet.**

**DISCLAIMER: I own Derrick Bolris. This Misfitverse belongs to Red Witch, and so does Benny Barumpbump (I think he does, at least). The characters of G.I. Joe belong to Hasbro, and everything else belongs to Marvel. **

Chapter 3: Meeting of the Witches

Nico had just seen her room. Although decorated with ghoulish busts, it seemed to work for her. Molly, however, was another story.

"Okay, for this wall, I'm thinking…video arcade!" Molly said.

"Don't push it, Mol," Nico said. "This isn't our place."

"But it's so freakin' creepy!" Molly retorted. "How does Doc Strange live here without getting monsters under his beds?"

"I don't think he sleeps here, Molly," Nico replied. "Besides, I don't think it's that creepy. And there aren't monsters under the bed."

"Did you check?" Molly asked nervously.

"I checked," Nico smiled, patting Molly's head. "Nothing to be scared of, unless you count Benny."

"Why was he all drooly and stuff?" Molly asked.

"I think it's because he's already become obsessed with me," Nico responded. "Did I ever tell you that one of the boys from the orphanage Captain America sent me to was obsessed with me?"

"No," Molly answered. "Not on the night we met at that James Dean statue for the second time, anyway."

"Come on," Nico said, "I'll tell you how I got him off my back while we check this place out."

Nico and Molly left the room, entering the hallway, and just as they turned the corner they were met with the sight of Wanda Maximoff. All three girls were surprised to see each other, but Wanda recovered first.

"Wait, I think I know you guys," Wanda said. "You're two of the Runaways, right? Nico Minoru and Molly Hayes?"

"Yeah," Nico said, becoming suddenly wary of Wanda.

"Hey, you're Scarlet Witch from the Misfits!" Molly cried. "Awesome! We got to team up in LA!"

"Which was just fine until one of my hexbolts and your friend's light ball caused an explosion," Wanda sighed. "So, uh, how are things with you?"

"Why do you want to know?" Nico asked.

"It's called 'being friendly'," Wanda said. "Uh, by the way…Spyder and Trinity didn't wreck your hideout too badly, did they?"

"Well, there's a big black spot from where they set something on fire," Nico sighed, "and they destroyed Gert's parents' time machine, but other than that our place is fine."

"Good," Wanda sighed. "If Wavedancer wasn't on a trip with Toad and Xi in Japan, she'd kill to know about you guys."

"Why?" Nico asked cautiously.

"Well, uh…how about we talk inside?" Wanda stammered, gesturing to Nico's room.

"Okay!" Molly said.

"I guess it's fine," Nico shrugged, and the three went inside. There, Wanda sat on the bed next to Molly and Nico.

"So, I guess I owe you guys some explanations for why we came to LA in the first place," Wanda said.

"Yeah," Nico glared, reaching into her pocket for the switchblade Chase had given her, "you do."

"Okay," Wanda began. "Around that time, a guy from S.H.I.E.L.D came and brought you guys to our attention."

"S.H.I.E.L.D?" Molly said. "We got Old Lace back from them when we ran away from the foster homes!"

"Yeah, they weren't too happy about that," Wanda smirked. "The guy—Nick Fury—gave us a mission to bring you guys in and—"

"Knew it," Nico said, preparing to prick herself with the switchblade.

"Wait!" Wanda said. "I _really _don't want to fight you. I actually kind of identify with you."

"How?" Molly asked.

"My dad's Magneto," Wanda explained simply.

"Wow," Nico said, honestly surprised. "And I thought _we_ had messed-up parents."

"The only one out of all of us who actually wanted to capture you guys was Wavedancer," Wanda explained. "The rest of us wanted to recruit you or at least get to know you."

"Wait, we've only got one mutant, two if you count De—our new guy," Nico said, barely keeping herself from speaking Derrick's name. "What would a bunch of army mutants want with three humans--one a sorceress--a dinosaur, and an alien?"

"Hey, we've got Arcade, and he's human," Wanda shrugged. "Plus Xi doesn't have an X-gene, since he's a Cobra-created mutant."

"Wait," Molly interjected, "if you were after us, why didn't you come after Trinity and Spyder left?"

"Because they deleted the location of your hideout from their teleportation watches," Wanda explained. "That would have let them go back any time they wanted."

She smirked slightly.

"You should have seen Wavedancer after she heard about that," Wanda said. "She was practically pulling her hair out!"

"What about you?" Molly asked.

"Well, I was a little disappointed," Wanda admitted. "But, some time later, I figured it out. Trinity and Spyder are smarter than their craziness would make you think. They wanted to protect you guys, and even though I've never outright said it, I agreed with them."

"You're not just saying that so we think you're cool, are you?" Nico asked.

"Nope," Wanda shook her head. "Honestly, you guys have reason to not trust me yet, especially after what happened with your parents. Besides, _we _actually figured out that what Cap did to you was probably the stupidest thing he could ever have done, contrary to his belief."

"So...are we all friends now?" Molly asked.

Nico paused for a moment. And then she smiled.

"Guess so," she said.

"Thanks," smiled Wanda. "So, who's your new guy?"

"Someone who doesn't really like the Misfits, X-Men, and Magneto very much," Nico said.

"What, don't want to tell me?" Wanda asked.

"He made us swear to not let you know about him so that you couldn't try and recruit him or me," Molly explained.

"Sheesh, he must be paranoid," Wanda groaned.

"Living in New York does that to a mutant, I guess," Nico shrugged.

"Nico, I won't tell a soul in the Misfits," Wanda swore. "Honestly, if he's so set against being recruited, then we won't do it. At least, I can try to convince the other Misfits not to."

"Okay, fine," Nico sighed. "His name's—"

Before Nico could mention Derrick's name, Benny Barumpbump burst into the room.

"NICO!" yelled Benny. "I'm here to win your heart through song!"

All three girls stared for a moment as Benny began to sing, making a complete fool of himself via the nonsensical lyrics of his song.

"_Will you go out with me?_" Benny sang. "_I'll buy you pink hearts and candy! Will you go out with me? We'll just be fine and dandy!_"

"Allow me," Wanda said, her hand becoming surrounded with a blue aura. A blue bolt of energy launched from her hand, striking Benny in the stomach and sending him out of the room.

"Thanks," Nico said. "As I was saying…our new guy's named Derrick Bolris."

"Derrick Bolris?!" Wanda repeated. "That electric guy who fried Wavedancer in New York?"

"Bingo," Nico said.

"So…mind if I ask about him?" Wanda asked.

"Fine," Nico sighed. "He's probably going to electrify my staff or something for telling you about him, anyway."

"A little sensitive, isn't he?" Wanda said. "Anyway, why does he hate G.I. Joe so much?"

"His parents were military scientists," Nico explained. "And three years ago, when they found out their son was a mutant, they _experimented _on him."

"Seriously?!" Wanda cried. "Geez, even Magneto didn't do that to me or Quicksilver! He just locked me in a mental institute!"

At that moment, a ghost-like version of Doctor Strange appeared through the floor.

"_The remaining guests have arrived,_" explained the astral projection of Strange. "_Please come to the foyer._"

"Guess that's our cue," Nico said upon the departure of the astral projection. "Let's go."

****

Doctor Strange, with Benny by his side (the latter still drooling over Nico), surveyed the cast of magic users before him. Nico and Wanda were up front, with Molly by Nico's side.

"Welcome, sorcerers and sorceresses, magic users all," Doctor Strange greeted. "I am Doctor Stephen Strange, the Sorcerer Supreme."

Benny was still drooling and staring at Nico, much to the girl's displeasure.

"And the boy with little control over his saliva is my apprentice, Benny Barumpbump," Doctor Strange groaned. "We are here today to learn both of each other and from each other. So take as much time as you need to learn about your fellow magic users."

After this, the room became abuzz with speech. Benny immediately rushed to Nico.

"I'll impress you this time, I swear!" Benny vowed. "Watch!"

He cast out his hand, magic flowing from it and into the air. The magic swirled around and became a dark blue, forming a dark blue disk. Doctor Strange noticed, and his eyes went wide.

"Benny, NO!" Doctor Strange cried, but it was too late.

The disk grew larger and larger, and after growing to roughly the size of a person, smoke erupted from it. And then, the disk seemed to explode. In its place stood a being dressed in a dominantly red and purple cloak, but his most noticeable feature was his flaming head.

"**At last!**" roared the being. "**I, the Dread Dormammu, am free to conquer this planet!**"

"Yeah, I'm _real_ impressed," Nico said sarcastically, glaring hard at Benny.


	4. Dormammu So Ugly!

**We now come upon a chapter that I had a very hard time coming up with a title for.**

**DISCLAIMER: I own Derrick Bolris. Red Witch owns the Misfitverse this story takes place in, as well as Benny Barumpbump (I think). All G.I. Joe characters belong to Hasbro, and everything else belongs to Marvel.**

Chapter 4: Dormammu So Ugly!

"I cannot believe this, Benny!" Doctor Strange cried, throwing his hands into the air. "You have opened a portal that has unleashed the greatest evil the universe has ever known...to impress a girl?!"

"Oops?" whimpered Benny.

"**Ah, but your mistake has summoned me from the Dark Dimension,**" Dormammu pointed out. "**Therefore, Dormammu shall reward you by making your death quick and painless.**"

"You shall not!" Doctor Strange proclaimed, levitating in front of Dormammu.

"**Fool!**" laughed Dormammu. "**Even the Sorcerer Supreme cannot stop me!**"

"How about an army of magic users?" asked Wanda as Nico pricked herself with her switchblade and the magic users behind them prepared their spells.

"**No difficult task,**" Dormammu bragged, until he saw Nico summoning her staff. "**What?!**"

"**When blood is shed, let the Staff of One emerge!**" Nico recited, her staff phasing through her chest and being caught by her hand.

"**What?!**" Dormammu cried, eyes wide. "**Inconceivable! The **_**Staff of One**_**?! The one mystic artifact I fear?!**"

Dormammu looked more closely at Nico.

"**And wielded by a **_**child**_**, no less,**" Dormammu smirked. "**Perhaps I can take this opportunity to rid this world of its greatest threat to me once and for all.**"

"Good luck with that," Wanda said, casting a hexbolt at Dormammu, who merely swatted the attack away.

"**Foolish child!**" Dormammu laughed. "**I have spent millennia increasing my mystic powers! No human, no matter how powerful, can stop me!**"

"How about a mutant?!" Molly cried, running towards Dormammu.

"Molly, no!" Nico cried, but Dormammu simply blasted Molly away with a magical field.

"**Mutant, are you?**" Dormammu asked. "**I have heard rumors of a group of mutants calling themselves the 'X-Men'. Might you be one of them?**"

"In your dreams, candle-head!" Molly snapped.

"**Then let me rephrase one of my previous statements,**" Dormammu said. "**No human **_**or mutant **_**can stand against the might of Dormammu!**"

"Which is why we shall return you to the Dark Dimension!" Doctor Strange vowed.

"**I think not, Strange!**" Dormammu retorted, forming a magical fireball in his hand and hurling it at the group of magic-users. Wanda used a hexbolt to destroy his attack while Nico prepared a spell of her own.

"**Chill out!**" Nico cried, a stream of icy energy erupting from the tip of her staff and encasing Dormammu in ice.

"Good work!" Doctor Strange said hurriedly, using magic to open a portal back to the Dark Dimension. "Now cast him back in before he…"

The ice surrounding Dormammu began to crack, and in mere seconds the flaming-headed being was free, blocks of ice scattering everywhere.

"…breaks free," Doctor Strange finished. "Everyone, focus your attacks! Push Dormammu back into the portal!"

"**Rockstars!**" Nico cried, a burst of energy taking the form of stars blasting Dormammu in the chest while an earsplitting sound rang through his ears. Wanda threw more hexbolt as Doctor Strange cast more spell, and with the combined effort of all the magic users (minus Benny), Dormammu was forced back into the portal.

"**NO!**" Dormammu roared as he fell into the portal. "**I shall return! You shall all face my wrathful vengeance! DORMAMMU IS FOREVER!**"

"Dormammu also talks too much," Wanda groaned, "which unnecessarily reminds me of my brother."

"You have a brother?" Nico asked.

"It's Quicksilver," Wanda explained. "He's my twin brother."

"Really?" Molly asked. "You don't look like twins."

"We're fraternal twins," Wanda said. "We don't look alike, but we were born at the same time."

"Well done, all!" Doctor Strange said to the entire crowd. "Every one of us has proven today that our combined efforts can vanquish any foe, even one as mighty as Dormammu! I am afraid, however, that the remainder of our time here may not be as…exhilarating, let us say."

"Yeah, probably," Nico muttered. "But first…"

She turned and glared at Benny.

"Uh, hi?" Benny whimpered before Nico struck him in the head with her staff.

"YOU LITTLE MORON!" Nico screamed. "YOU NEARLY CAUSED THE END OF THE FREAKING WORLD!"

"OW! HEY, I WAS JUST TRYING TO IMPRESS YOU!" Benny cried, primarily in pain.

"YOU WANT TO IMPRESS ME?! SIT STILL AND DIE!" Nico roared.

"Room for one more?" Wanda asked, also glaring at Benny.

"Make that two," Molly smirked.

"Of all the times my apprentice has deserved punishment," Doctor Strange observed as the three girls attacked Benny, "this may be the most deserving—and strangely amusing—of all."

"OUCH! GIRLS! AAH! I NEED THAT!" Benny cried. "OW! DON'T HEX ME THERE, PLEASE! AAAAH!"

****

Aside from Wanda, Nico spent relatively little time socializing with the magic users. Eventually, the convention came to an end, and Nico and Wanda were now saying goodbye.

"You won't tell the other Misfits that we're friends, right?" Nico pleaded. "I mean, I'm obviously going to tell the other Runaways, but…"

"Don't worry about it," Wanda said. "I won't breathe a word. Trust me, as far as they're concerned, we never met."

"Thanks, Scarlet Witch," Nico smiled.

"Call me Wanda," Wanda said, shaking Nico's hand. "I don't call you Sister Grimm, do I?"

"Eh, we stopped using codenames after we ran away from the foster homes," Nico shrugged.

"I miss our codenames," Molly pouted.

"If you ever join the Misfits, we'll give you one," Wanda smiled. "Trust me."

"Cool!" Molly shouted happily.

"Come on, Mol," Nico said, though she was unable to hide a smile. "Let's go home."

****

On top of a building in Los Angeles, a man stood. He had black hair and a goatee, but his most noticeable features were his muscular build and his clothing, which seemed to be patterned after a lion. He was holding a newspaper in his hand.

"My battles with Spider-Man have left me shamed," the man said to himself as he looked down at the newspaper, "but soon my name shall be redeemed. Soon I shall be returned to my place as the planet's greatest hunter."

He took out a dagger from his belt, the latter of which had a tiger-like stripe pattern on it.

"Soon, Kraven the Hunter shall have his greatest trophy yet!" vowed the man, stabbing the dagger into a picture on the newspaper.

A picture of Gert's dinosaur, Old Lace.


	5. Mutant Angst Ahoy

**DISCLAIMER: I own Derrick Bolris. The Misfitverse this takes place in belongs to Red Witch. All G.I. Joe related characters belong to Hasbro, and everything else belongs to Marvel.**

Chapter 5: Mutant Angst Ahoy

Several hours after Nico returned, the Hostel was relatively quiet.

"YOU DID _WHAT?!_"

Relatively, anyway.

"Somehow, I though Derrick would take it better than this," Karolina said. "Somehow."

"Why's he making such a big deal out of it?" Chase asked.

"He grew up in New York, remember?" Gert said. "Also known as 'Mutant Angstville, U.S.A.', second only to Bayville"

In the other room, Derrick and Nico were having words.

"Why the hell did you tell Scarlet Witch?!" Derrick growled.

"Look, Derrick, Wanda isn't that bad!" Nico argued. "She's not the brainwashed loon you think she and the rest of the Misfits are!"

"That's not the point!" Derrick shook his head. "What's stopping the Misfits from coming here and throwing everyone here back into foster crap while Molly and I get forced into joining?!"

"Wanda said she wouldn't tell any of the other Misfits, or their handlers," Nico replied.

"Oh, well _that's_ reassuring!" Derrick threw his hands into the air. "So the bad luck bringer gives her word that she won't expose us to her teammates! I'm filled with _so _much confidence!"

"Why is it so hard to believe that mutants who hang out with the army are good?!" Nico snapped.

"THIS IS WHY!" Derrick roared, and slightly lifted his shirt.

Nico nearly threw up. Along Derrick's stomach was a massive red gash, as if he had been cut open and then sealed shut again. The scar traced up to his chest, even going over his heart.

"Oh, my God," Nico whispered.

"Yeah, that's why anything the army says is a load of crap," Derrick spat, lowering his shirt. "Telling the truth doesn't benefitthem in any way. 'This won't hurt a bit', they said. 'We don't want to do this', they said, but they did it anyway. And if it wasn't supposed to hurt, then why the hell did they _conveniently _forget to _use the freaking anesthetic_!"

Derrick stormed out of the room, leaving Nico alone.

"And I thought _our_ parents messed usup," Nico muttered.

****

In the room Derrick usually stayed in, the electrokinetic lied flat on his bed, staring up at the ceiling. He blinked tears of anger out of his eyes. The memories of the day his parents experimented on him always haunted his dreams. Whenever he woke up at night, screaming in a combination of rage and fear, Nico was always there to assure him that it was just a dream.

She was always there…when no one else was.

Maybe…maybe he had been too hard on her. Derrick had only been with the Runaways for a month. He was still technically a guest in their lair. And Nico…she was more than just a friend to him. She had done more for him than anyone else in recent memory had.

"Wonderful," Derrick sighed. "Maybe I'm letting the Misfits get to me…I guess I am getting paranoid."

He looked to the side, at the door in the wall.

"I owe Nico one," Derrick muttered. "I definitely owe her."

As if on cue, Nico came into the room.

"Hey, Derrick?" Nico said.

"Hey," Derrick mumbled. "Look, sorry I freaked earlier."

"It's okay," Nico said, sitting down on the bed. "I really shouldn't blame you for acting that way after what the army put you through."

"Know what I don't get?" Derrick asked.

"What?" said Nico.

"Why in the name of all things holy are the Misfits loyal to G.I. Joe?" Derrick asked. "I used to think they were brainwashed or something, but after what you've said about Scarlet Witch, it's clear they're not, which leads me to wonder why _any _mutant would want to be one of the army's personal _slaves_."

"I don't know," Nico said. "Never really thought about that. They seem to like being there."

"That's another thing!" Derrick cried. "Why would they actually _like _being weapons?! I mean, come on, most of the Misfits are made up from the freakin' _Brotherhood of Mutants_! Why would _they_, of all mutants, actuallylike it?!"

He sighed.

"I know they're the good guys," he said. "I know they fight for the same things we fight for. But, I can't understand why they would follow army orders."

"Who knows?" Nico shrugged. "Well, anyway, I want to ask you something."

"Yeah?" Derrick asked.

"How about we all go out for a little bit? You know, to clear our heads?" Nico offered. "We need to get some supplies, anyway. Chase is going to fire up the Leapfrog and take us shopping."

"Eh, heck with it," Derrick shrugged.

"Great," Nico smiled. "Meet us at the 'Frog in ten minutes. And…Derrick?"

"What?" he asked.

Nico put her hand on his.

"You're a better person than you think you are," she said. "Trust me."

"If…if you say so," Derrick stammered.

Nico left, and Derrick stared at his hand for a moment. He then uttered two nearly inaudible words.

"Holy crap," he said.

After a minute, he left his room, and followed Nico to the Leapfrog.

****

The Leapfrog barreled through the tar, but since the cloaking field was on, everyone present at the La Brea Tar Pits assumed that a large bubble had simply popped. After several hops, the Leapfrog landed atop a building, and the Runaways piled out.

"Okay, everyone," began Nico, "you've all got your allowance—"

"Nico, is there a _reason_ you have to call it an allowance?" Chase groaned.

"So, you should be okay," Nico continued, ignoring Chase completely. "We leave Old Lace in the cloaked Leapfrog, and we'll go into separate stores. And remember, you're invisible to the adults until you start shoplifting, so ease up on the five-finger discounts."

"Uh, you might want to hold that thought, Nico," Karolina pointed out, looking down at the street below.

The remaining Runaways looked and groaned. Beneath them was a supervillain from New York, who apparently had nothing better to do than terrorize the people of Los Angeles. The villain wore a green costume with a long, bladed tail, spraying acid from his tail at several buildings.

"Yeah, you better run!" laughed the villain as Los Angelinos fled in terror. "No one can

stop the Scorpion!"

"Awesome! Another animal bad guy!" Molly cried happily.

"Who is also another New Yorker," Gert groaned. "Here, Old Lace!"

"Well, guess this puts our shopping trip on hold," Nico sighed as Gert's dinosaur bounded out of the Leapfrog. "Everyone ready?"

"No draining from the Leapfrog!" Chase snapped, seeing Derrick reaching for the cloaked machine.

"Well, how else am I supposed to be of any use?!" Derrick retorted.

"Cool it, boys," Nico admonished. "Derrick, Chase is actually right this time. We're going to need the 'Frog, so we'll need you to drain from something else. In short, let's go."

****

Unbeknownst to both the Runaways and Scorpion, Kraven the Hunter crouched on a hidden rooftop, observing the superhumans in action.

"Kraven always observes his prey before hunting them," the hunter said to himself as the Runaways confronted Scorpion. "By releasing Scorpion from my captivity and into the streets of the city, I have drawn out my prey. And, soon, the hunt shall begin."


	6. The Scorpion and the Hunter

**I'm putting this chapter up early due to tomorrow being Christmas Eve (at least where I am). **

**DISCLAIMER: I own Derrick Bolris. This Misfitverse belongs to Red Witch, the characters of G.I. Joe belong to Hasbro, and everything else belongs to Marvel.**

Chapter 6: The Scorpion and the Hunter

"So, you little brats are the Pride's kids, huh?" Scorpion snorted, glancing at all the Runaways standing in front of him. "How 'bout you go back to kindergarten?"

"Uh-huh," Nico said. "And you're MacDonald 'Mac' Gargan, alias Scorpion. You got super-strength, super-agility and that suit from a radiation experiment. How about _you _go back to New York?"

"How'd you know about me?!" Scorpion cried. "I've never been here before!"

"You're in our parents' files," Gert answered. "At the very bottom of the 'Villains that Could Be a Problem' list. In the 'Common Thugs' category."

"What?!" Scorpion snapped. "I'm no thug, and I'm definitely not common! I'm the Scorpion!"

"Molly," said Chase.

"Aw, how cute!" Scorpion laughed as Molly walked towards him. "A little girl's gonna invite me to a tea party!"

Scorpion would come to regret underestimating Molly Hayes.

A single punch from Molly was enough to send Scorpion through three cars, one lamppost, and two building walls. Now battered and bruised, lying in a heap atop a pile of debris, Scorpion weakly looked up.

"But, Mama, I don't wanna go to school today," Scorpion groaned goofily before falling unconscious.

"Guess we need to do our shopping another time," Nico said as the sound of sirens echoed in the distance. "Am I the only one who misses the order our parents managed to keep here?"

"Hey, if you miss mommy and daddy so much," Chase snapped, following Nico back to the Leapfrog, "why don't you just hop in Gert's parents' time machine and save their butts?"

"She doesn't miss them, honey," Gert corrected. "All Nico's doing is pointing out the situation. When our 'rents were in power, no one came here for fear of being torn up, put in a box, and shipped back to New York with a label explaining who it was and why they're in so many pieces."

"Besides," Derrick added, "Spyder and Trinity made absolutely sure that thing stopped working. You'd think that the son of two mad scientists would actually figure that out, but _no_, irony just has to factor in."

"Okay, I get it!" Chase groaned, throwing his hands into the air. "Sheesh!"

A knife suddenly landed in front of them, blade-first in the ground.

"Kraven has seen enough!" barked a certain hunter, as Kraven leapt onto the scene. "It is time to claim my trophy!"

"Who's he?" Chase asked.

"Kraven the Hunter," Karolina answered. "Another guy from New York."

"Why are we being ganged up on today?!" Chase asked of the sky.

"What do you want?" Nico demanded of Kraven.

"I have come for the dinosaur," Kraven explained, removing his dagger from the ground. "Now leave, so I may claim my prize."

"You're not getting Old Lace!" Gert growled, Old Lace adding a snarl of agreement.

"Then Kraven shall remove what stands in the path of victory!" Kraven retorted, making a leap for Gert and Old Lace.

"Like hell you will!" Chase roared, standing in front of Kraven and using a pair of mechanical gloves to release a stream of flame into the hunter's chest. "Nobody touches her!"

Kraven quickly recovered, much more quickly than Chase initially believed, but soon found himself face-to-face with Gert and Old Lace.

"You want Old Lace?" Gert asked as her dinosaur snarled angrily. "You've got her. Sic!"

Old Lace pounced on Kraven, and began acting out her dinosaur instincts by viciously attacking the hunter.

"AAH! THAT HURTS!" Kraven cried.

"Easy, girl," Gert said. "If you're going to put his arm in your mouth, don't shake it around like that."

"Eww!" Molly flinched.

"Hate to interrupt Old Lace's snack break," Nico said, "but we've got to go."

"Yeah, the police just showed up," Derrick said, looking over the roof. "They're taking in Scorpion right now, though."

"Okay, girl, that's enough," Gert said to Old Lace, and the dinosaur backed away from a somewhat mauled Kraven. "Let's go."

The Leapfrog shot into the sky again, heading back to the museum.

"The pain…" Kraven groaned.

****

Somewhere over the country, though nowhere near Los Angeles or New York, a massive ship hovered through the air. It looked like a colossal bullet with four helicopter rotors sustaining it. On its side was an eagle logo with the letters "S.H.I.E.L.D" painted onto it.

On board the S.H.I.E.L.D Helicarrier, a man with an eye patch led Captain America and a blonde-haired man holding a stone hammer into a hallway marked "DETAINMENT".

"You understand why I want Thor here," said S.H.I.E.L.D director Nick Fury as he led the two Avengers into the corridor. "This guy's one nasty customer."

"So we've heard," Captain America nodded.

"There is no villain Mjolnir cannot conquer," bragged the Asgardian Avenger named Thor, looking over his mystical hammer.

"If that thing shot off sunlight instead of lightning, taking him out would be a lot easier," Fury said, stopping in front of a cell. "But, nothing in life is ever easy, right?"

"And why would that be?" Thor asked. "Why would my hammer need to shoot sunlight to vanquish this foe?"

"This guy's name is Michael Morbius," Fury said. "He basically turned himself into a vampire while trying to cure a blood disease he had."

"I think you mentioned that," Captain America said. "You said that the Pride's children were brought to New York and took him down. Spider-Man brought him to our headquarters soon afterward, and you took him into custody aboard the Helicarrier."

"Since you wanted to try and reform him so badly, I'm giving you a shot," Fury said. "But we _will _take Morbius out permanently if he tries anything."

"Understood," Captain America nodded.

Fury opened the door, revealing a pale-skinned man in a black trenchcoat with wild power blue hair, red eyes, clawed fingers, and yellowed fangs. Captain America and Thor entered the room, while Fury closed the door behind them. The vampiric man simply sat in the floor, ignoring the sounds of footsteps and slamming doors.

"Michael Morbius?" Captain America said.

The living vampire looked up at the superhero.

"That would be my name," said Morbius in a Greek-accented voice.

"We have a proposition for you," Captain America said.

"And what may that be?" Morbius asked.

"In exchange for freedom from the Helicarrier's detainment center, you could sign on with the Avengers to atone for the murders you committed," Captain America offered, though he could not keep a tone of sternness out of his voice.

"Atone?" Morbius said, barely keeping himself from smirking. "Do you truly believe I regret feasting on several people in New York?"

"I _believe_ you're still human deep down, son," Captain America said.

"Firstly, I am not your 'son', Captain America," Morbius sneered. "Secondly, I may be a living vampire, but that does not mean I feel remorse for attempting to survive."

"Listen to me, son," Captain America said sternly. "Lives are important. Every individual life is important in itself. Lives can be ruined, but they can also be fixed. You believe that your life was ruined by the results of your experiment. I want to help you make the best of your situation."

"How?" snorted Morbius. "By having me help some aged woman across a street? By forcing me to send a burglar into prison? Or by blackmailing me into starving myself and essentially committing suicide just so your precious civilians are not harmed?"

"That's not what I'm saying, Michael—" Captain America began, but Morbius cut him off.

"Ah, but it is!" Morbius snarled. "Regardless of what I do, or who I help, at some point I will need to devour a person's blood in order to sustain myself. And _that _is something you simply cannot have! If lives are as important as you claim, than why risk my own for another?!"

"Because a hero needs to put their neck on the line for the people they protect!" Captain America countered.

"Then go and do so!" Morbius snapped. "Leave me!"

"Not until you agree to become an Avenger," Captain America said.

"I do believe we can work something out regarding your…cravings," Thor offered. "Iron Man is a genius, after all."

A pause. Then Morbius spoke.

"I will…consider it," Morbius said. "Until then…leave me, Avengers."

Captain America left with a sigh, Thor following.

"Heard it all," Fury said. "We'll be keeping him here until he makes a decision."

"Hopefully he'll make the right one," Captain America sighed.


	7. The Only Hazardous Way to Travel

**And now the first visit to an alternate dimension.**

**DISCLAIMER: I own Derrick Bolris and, subsequently, Zombie Derrick. The characters of G.I. Joe belong to Hasbro, and everything else belongs to Marvel.**

Chapter 7: The Only (Hazardous) Way to Travel

One month passed after Nico's trip to the Sanctum Sanctorum and the Runaways' bouts with Scorpion and Kraven. Their time was mainly spent playing board games, taking on the occasional powerless gang, or dealing with supervillains from New York. One night, however, was going to be different. _Very _different.

At first, it seemed to be as average a night as the Runaways ever had. The group was staring down an odd pair of supervillains. One had dark grey skin, wore a blue jumpsuit, and had his long white hair tied back in a ponytail. The other was a large man with long shaggy hair and an equally shaggy beard.

"So, you guys are Bloodscream and Roughouse, right?" Gert said.

"You would be correct," answered the dark grey-skinned Bloodscream.

"So, what exactly do you want?" Karolina asked.

"You," answered the shaggy Roughouse. "We are but mercenaries. Our client would like a word with you."

"Here's his word," Derrick said, placing one hand on a lamppost, allowing electricity to drain from the lamp and into his hand. "No."

Derrick fired lightning out of his other hand, but the two supervillains managed to avoid it easily. Bloodscream leapt at Karolina, but she fired a blast of energy square into his chest. Roughouse charged towards Chase, only to receive a similar fate.

Both villains were on their feet again rather quickly, however, and Roughouse lifted a car above his head as Bloodscream bounded on top of it. Roughouse threw the car, Bloodscream preparing to jump off of it. Nico, however, countered.

"**Right back at you!**" Nico cried, aiming the Staff of One at the car. The car suddenly redirected itself in mid-air, rocketing back at Roughouse and slamming into his chest. Bloodscream had fallen off of the car, though he did land on his feet.

"Surrender yourselves now," Bloodscream warned, "or the consequences will not favor you."

"Not happening," Nico growled, pointing her staff at Bloodscream. "You're a vampire, right? Then you won't like this. **Sunburst!**"

Instead of the ball of sunlight Nico had intended, however, a flash of light engulfed all of the Runaways, but left Bloodscream and Roughouse untouched. The two mercenaries blinked for a moment, before Roughouse turned to Bloodscream.

"I'm descended from Frost Giants," he said, "and you're caught between dead and alive until you drain the blood of an immortal, so nothing should surprise us, right?"

"Yes," Bloodscream nodded.

"So, how come I suddenly need a drink?" Roughouse asked.

"Likely because Black Tarantula will not be pleased," Bloodscream answered.

"Oh, I get it now," Roughouse groaned. "_That's _why I need a drink!"

****

"Okay, could someone explain to me what just happened?" Nico asked, the Runaways suddenly standing in a desert wasteland.

"You already used that sunburst spell," Karolina explained.

"Really?" Nico said. "When did I use that?"

"On Storm back in New York," Derrick answered. "Trust me, I'd know. You guys picked me up there."

"Oh…sorry, guys," Nico said, rubbing the back of her head embarrassedly. "I kind of have a hard time remembering what spells I've already used. Anyone know where we are?"

"Simple," a voice rasped behind them. "You're in another reality."

The Runaways turned, and found themselves face-to-face with zombie versions of themselves, minus Gert and Old Lace. The Zombie Runaways looked significantly more untidy and ragged, and Zombie Chase had no Fistigon gloves.

"Somebody please tell me this is a nightmare," Derrick groaned.

"Yeah, it's a nightmare, all right," said Zombie Nico. "Probably your worst one. I know it's ours."

"Gert?" Zombie Chase said upon catching sight of the time travelers' daughter. "What the hell? You died!"

"Alternate realities are all different, Chase," Zombie Karolina explained.

"Wait, back up," Gert interjected. "You're telling me that, in this reality, I _died_?!"

"Yep!" Zombie Molly said.

"See, some time ago, this guy called Sentry punched out of his reality and into ours," Zombie Nico explained. "Literally. He brought this virus with him that turned everyone that he touched into a pseudo-dead person."

"Gert got killed by some enemy of the Pride before Sentry did his catastrophic entrance, so she didn't get infected by all the craziness," Zombie Derrick sighed. "Lucky her."

"And before you ask, yes, we did eat her," Zombie Karolina said.

"And Old Lace, too!" Zombie Molly added.

"What?!" Gert shrieked.

"I still say that was a bad idea," Zombie Chase glared at his teammates.

"You're a zombie, Chase," Zombie Nico rolled her eyes. "Much as I regret it, we just have to learn to live with it. And with Morbius."

"What about Morbius?" Derrick asked.

At that moment, a zombie version of Morbius flew overhead.

"I am a vampire! I am a zombie!" proclaimed Zombie Morbius. "_I AM A VAMBIE_!"

"Did the virus lower Morbius' IQ or something?" Karolina asked as Zombie Morbius soared away.

"It might have," Zombie Karolina shrugged. "Who knows?"

"Aw, man, I'm freakin' hungry!" Zombie Molly groaned.

The Zombie Runaways began to glare hungrily at their living counterparts, all trace of sentience vanishing from their eyes.

"This can't be good," Nico observed, backing away slightly alongside her teammates.

"Gee, you think?" Chase said sarcastically.


	8. Runaways Vs Zombie Runaways

**Ah, battles between dimensional counterparts. What could be more fun?**

**DISCLAIMER: I own Derrick Bolris and, subsequently, Zombie Derrick. The Misfitverse this fanfic takes place in belongs to Red Witch, the characters of G.I. Joe belong to Hasbro, and everything else belongs to Marvel.**

Chapter 8: Runaways VS Zombie Runaways

"So how do we keep ourselves from being turned into zombies?!" Karolina cried as she blasted her zombie counterpart in the chest.

"Just don't let them scratch you!" Nico ordered as she struck her own zombie counterpart on the head with the Staff of One. "Or was that bite you? I never could keep that straight."

Zombie Chase roared as he charged Gert and Old Lace, but the dinosaur struck the zombie in the chest with her tail. Since nothing happened to Old Lace (and therefore Gert, via the psychic link they shared), it was apparent that touching the zombies would bring no harm. At least, as long as the zombies' feral instincts did not allow for scratching or biting.

Both the Mollys confronted each other. Molly punched Zombie Molly in the stomach, sending the little girl soaring through the air. Derrick, however, had other problems.

"Uh, guys?" the electrokinetic mutant said as Zombie Derrick charged for him. "I don't have anything to drain from, so I'm kind of out of options!"

"Need a hand?" Chase said, sending a fist of flame at Zombie Derrick. "Or maybe a _flaming _one?"

"Chase, stop with the fire jokes before you turn into Pyro from the Misfits," Derrick warned. "If that happens, then we'll all die."

"Uh, little problem, everyone," Nico said, backing away from the recovering Zombie Runaways. "These guys are tougher than they look."

"Yeah, figured," Chase said. "That's how zombies are. The horror movies were right."

"Anything from those horror movies that can actually keep a zombie down _permanently_?" Gert asked.

"Stuff we don't have," Chase answered.

"I wanna go home!" Molly cried. "These guys are freakin' scary!"

"Agreed," Derrick said. "Nico, can you get us back to our reality?"

"I'll try," Nico said nervously as the Runaways broke into a flat-out run to escape their counterparts. "Not sure how it'll work, though."

She rose the staff into the air.

"**Take us back to where we left off!**" she cried, and the Runaways—not the Zombie Runaways—all disappeared.

The Zombie Runaways stopped, entirely confused. Was there not fresh meat in front of them mere seconds ago? A noise behind them, a can being kicked, drew their attention to a large boy with a blonde Mohawk.

"Uh, this isn't a good place to be, is it?" asked the non-zombie counterpart of the Misfit named Fred 'the Blob' Dukes.

****

Back in the regular reality, in New York, a battle was in its waning stages. Captain America and his Avengers were waging war against a villain they faced frequently, a villain of their own design.

Ultron.

The imposingly tall and sinister-looking robot stood alone while every last Avenger stared him down. Captain America and Thor were aided by Hawkeye, She-Hulk, Iron Man, another man with orange goggles and a red-and-orange costume, a sixth man with sunglasses and a large red "W" printed on his blue costume, and a red-faced feminine-looking robot with a dominantly green-and-yellow color scheme.

"It's over, Ultron!" Captain America declared. "Now that the Vision is on our side and not yours, you have no chance!"

"That is where you are wrong, Captain America," Ultron droned. "The Avengers shall be terminated."

"I will not serve you," said the Vision, the robotic daughter of Ultron. "I may have been created by you, but Wasp's brain waves and the Avengers themselves have shown me a different path. What you are attempting to do is wrong."

"And we're going to stop it," Hawkeye added, pulling back an arrow in his bow. The arrow fired into Ultron's chest and exploded, thanks to the device attached to the tip, but mere seconds after the arrow detonated, the hole it created repaired itself.

"What?!" Captain America cried, only for Iron Man and Giant Man to let out a pair of small coughs.

"Uh, we _may _have designed Ultron with some self-repair nanobots," Giant Man said cautiously.

"That knowledge would have helped a little earlier!" Wonder Man cried.

"Well, it didn't occur to us until just now!" Iron Man retorted. "Incoming!"

Iron Man's call came out just in time: a red blast of energy fired from Ultron's palm would very nearly have struck several Avengers. Captain America threw his circular shield at Ultron, which struck the robot in its stomach, but Ultron recovered quickly and tossed the shield back in a similar manner. Giant Man suddenly grew to a colossal size, raising his foot in an attempt to step on the monster he and Iron Man had created, but Ultron used rockets in his feet to fly away and shoot a concussive energy blast into Giant Man's chest, knocking the massive Avenger off-balance and causing him to fall backward.

"It's time to finish this!" Captain America cried, leaping behind Ultron. "Iron Man, now!"

"You got it!" Iron Man cried, firing a massive blue beam of energy from his chest. The beam struck Ultron head-on, and with Captain America behind the robot deflecting any of the blast that came through, Ultron was soon destroyed.

With a large explosion, all that was left was Ultron's head. The head thudded to the ground, and Captain America picked it up.

"And to think you would have been an Avenger," Captain America said as the red in Ultron's eyes and mouth faded into darkness.

He then looked to his Avenger comrades.

"Iron Man," said the leader of the Avengers as he tossed Iron Man the head of Ultron, "take care of Ultron's head."

"Will do," Iron Man nodded before flying away via rockets in his own feet.

Captain America released a heavy sigh. Thor noticed, and the Asgardian Avenger approached his leader.

"What troubles you?" Thor asked. "We have vanquished the villainous Ultron. No innocents were harmed despite the proof of Giant Man's need to make an attempt at a diet."

"I heard that!" Giant Man cried.

"It's just…" Captain America sighed, "I wish we would hear from Michael soon."

"Ah," Thor nodded. "It has been a month since we spoke to him. He is certainly taking a long time to consider."

"That's what worries me," Captain America said. "I'm afraid he'll decline."

"But why?" Thor asked. "He has been offered the highest honor one with superpowers can ever receive!"

"That's not how Michael sees it," Captain America shook his head. "The only thing he sees it as is our attempt to slowly kill him. Tony's been developing a device that can suppress Michael's hunger, but I have doubts that he'll accept it. He's become so used to being a vampire that he can't see any other way of life."

"Have faith, Captain," Thor said, "I am confident Morbius will make the right decision. Now, what say we celebrate our defeat of Ultron?"

"Sorry, Thor," Captain America said, "but we still haven't fixed the hole from the last time you celebrated something. At the very least…don't drink anything."

****

In deep space, a small yellow pod-like craft sliced through the darkness. The craft's occupant looked down at the computer in front of him.

"Majesdanian energy signature detected," the computer beeped. "Location: planet Earth."

The pilot grinned.

"I've finally found you," the pilot said.

And the craft accelerated towards Earth.


	9. Touching on Some Other Issues

**This chapter had me excited. One of the two new members mentioned in the summary debuts here.**

**DISCLAIMER: I own Derrick Bolris. The Misfitverse this takes place in belongs to Red Witch, the characters of G.I. Joe belong to Hasbro, and everything else belongs to Marvel.**

Chapter 9: Touching on Some Other Issues

After the Runaways' brief adventure in the zombie dimension, the group spent the next month dealing with other low-level supervillains. The Wrecking Crew made another attempt at making Los Angeles their stomping grounds, only to find their efforts about to be repulsed once again.

The Wrecking Crew consisted of four men. One wore a dark green trenchcoat and had dark pink gloves, boots, and equally dark pink bandages wrapped around his head. He held a crowbar in his hand, specifically a crowbar enchanted with Asgardian magic. His name was Dirk Garthwaite, but he was more commonly known as the Wrecker, the leader of the Wrecking Crew.

The other members consisted of Brian Calusky, Elliot Franklin, and Henry Camp, known respectively as Piledriver, Thunderball, and Bulldozer. Piledriver wore a dominantly white costume with a red mask, red gloves, and red boots. Thunderball's costume was of a similar coloring, but was green with yellow gloves, a yellow mask, and yellow boots. Bulldozer had an orange costume with grey gloves and boots as well as a metallic helmet.

The Runaways confronted this colorful four at a bank one evening. Wrecker pounded his crowbar into his hand, Thunderball prepared to swing about his personal wrecking ball, and the pair of Piledriver and Bulldozer prepared for old-fashioned melee attacks.

"Okay, guys," Nico began, "is there a _reason _you're back?"

"Yeah," said Wrecker. "Nobody makes fools of the Wrecking Crew, especially a bunch of stupid kids!"

"Well, we made fools of you a few months ago," Derrick pointed out. "So we're guessing you're here to have that happen again."

"Shows what you know!" snapped Wrecker. "Boys, get 'em!"

"How incredibly original," Gert said calmly as the Wrecking Crew charged. Old Lace quickly tackled Piledriver, who found himself in the same panicked state as Kraven had earlier.

"WHOA! HELP!" cried Bulldozer as Molly picked him up over her head and threw him high into the air.

Derrick used electricity he had drained to electrify Thunderball's wrecking ball, leading to the dark-skinned Wrecking Crew member being literally shocked. Chase simply shot Wrecker with a flame blast, which Karolina added to with a beam of her own, instantly downing the Crew's leader.

Just as quickly as had been done before, the Wrecking Crew was entirely unconscious.

"Well, that was quick," said Gert as Old Lace prodded Piledriver with her nose.

"Yeah, gives us some free time," Chase smirked.

"Which means we take a break for a little bit," Nico said with a relieved sigh. "We really need to de-stress."

"I said I was sorry!" Derrick yelled. "I had some electricity stored and I didn't notice you standing behind me!"

"Let's just go," Karolina said as the Runaways piled into the Leapfrog again.

****

Twenty minutes later, Derrick strolled through the park alone. Much as he liked being with the other Runaways—indeed, they took up the majority of his few friend groups—he always had a penchant for being aloof. He had been that way for three years. Derrick looked at his hand, which discharged several small sparks. He always kept some electricity with him in case of some kind of attack. He had always done that, even in New York.

Despite his mutant power, no one bothered him. No one even looked harshly at him. This was rarely how it was in New York. Derrick smirked. This was a decent place to be.

And then he heard sobbing. He looked in the direction he heard it coming from, and he noticed a familiar rainbow glow.

Karolina.

Although he assumed Karolina was comforting a crying person, as it was in her nature to do so, Derrick nonetheless directed his travels towards the forlorn soul. When he arrived, he was slightly shocked.

Karolina, sitting on a rock, was the one crying.

"Kar?" he said softly.

"Go away!" she snapped, unusually harsh for her.

"I'll think about it if you tell me why you're not your usual hippie self," Derrick said, leaning back against a tree.

"You'll hate me for it," Karolina sniffed. "I'm a freak."

"Did someone insult about your rainbows?" Derrick asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It's not that, it's…it's different," Karolina said. "I'm different."

"So?" Derrick said. "So are mutants. Believe me, I'd know, and so would Molly."

Derrick sat down next to her, though not on the rock.

"Look, Kar, it doesn't matter if anything about you is messed up at all," he said. "You're not a freak. Honestly, you're not that much different from mutants, none of which are acutal freaks. The main difference is that you don't have an X-gene."

"So…you don't mind that I'm…" Karolina trailed off.

"Come on, it can't be that bad," Derrick said. "Listen to me, _you're _the eternal optimist, not me."

"Well…don't say I didn't warn you," Karolina said, and after a long pause, she finally revealed the source of her sorrow.

"I'm gay."

"That's it?" Derrick said.

"What do you mean 'that's it'?" Karolina asked.

"That's what you're crying about?" Derrick asked.

"Well, uh…no, actually," Karolina said. "I, uh…tried to kiss Nico."

"And she turned you down," Derrick said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Karolina Dean, you're an extremely honest and generous person whose only problem is that she has a limited selection where dating is concerned. That's all."

"You really think so?" Karolina said, and Derrick nodded. She then looked up. "Wow, a wishing star."

"I have the feeling I'll know what you'll wish for," Derrick said.

The star suddenly veered towards them.

"Wrong wish!" Derrick cried, grabbing Karolina's arm. "MOVE!"

Derrick yanked Karolina away, but the star made no crash. Instead, the ship that had scouted space for a Majesdanian energy signature hovered where they once were. Out of the ship stepped a dark-skinned boy with short black hair and a purple-and-black jumpsuit.

"Who the hell are you?" Derrick growled.

"I'm afraid that isn't your concern," said the boy, and with a wave of his hand, an invisible force field surrounded Derrick, imprisoning the electrokinetic mutant. "Karolina, come."

"Who are you?!" Karolina demanded. "How do you know my name?!"

"Didn't your parents tell you of the arrangement between our two worlds?" asked the boy.

"They're dead, and they didn't mention any arrangement!" Karolina snapped.

"Oh, I see," said the boy as his skin began to turn green. "Then, allow me to explain."

The boy's ears became pointed, his chin became rigid, and his eyes turned red.

"My name is Xavin," said the boy, "and I'm your fiancée."


	10. Explanations from Xavin

**DISCLAIMER: I own Derrick Bolris. The Misfitverse this story takes place in belongs to Red Witch, the characters of G.I. Joe belong to Hasbro, and everything else belongs to Marvel.**

Chapter 10: Explanations from Xavin

"What the &%^# are you?!" Karolina cried, swearing being rather unusual for her. "And what are you talking about?!"

"Well, as for your first question," Xavin said, "I'm what's called a Super-Skrull…or at least I will be, once my training is complete."

"What's a Super-Skrull?" Karolina asked.

"Haven't you heard of the one from New York?" Xavin asked. "He is Kl'rt, the first and greatest Super-Skrull, who frequently combats the heroes you call the Fantastic Four. He has all of their powers via genetic engineering, and since I wanted to be a great and mighty Super-Skrull like him, I chose the same power set, as you can see."

He gestured to the bubble holding an unconscious Derrick.

"As for the arrangement," Xavin continued, "my father attempted to invade Earth when your parents were in the Pride, but they stopped him."

"How?" Karolina asked. "They can't have done it out of the goodness of their hearts."

"They didn't," Xavin answered. "They offered the Skrull Army the coordinates to their—your—home planet in exchange for sparing Earth. My father, De'zean, needed assurance that the coordinates were real, so they offered your hand in marriage to me, Karolina."

"Figures our parents still try to mess with us from beyond the grave," Gert's voice came as the remaining Runaways arrived.

"Back away," Xavin growled, his force field disappearing as one hand became enveloped in flame.

"Xavin, no!" Karolina cried. "They're my friends!"

"Fuh…friends?" Xavin stammered. "You mean…your parents actually let you have friends?"

"Yours didn't?" Karolina gasped.

"No," Xavin shook his head. "The closest I had to friends was a crowd of corpses I was left with for three days after I cried during a slaughter."

"Ouch," Derrick said. "Even I didn't have it that bad."

"Karolina, your people and mine are at war," Xavin said. "The youth of both planets only want an end to the war, and so do I. With you as my bride, there will be hope that I can unite our races. Please, Karolina, will you marry me?"

"I…I, uh," Karolina stuttered.

"There, uh, might be a few complications with that," Derrick said.

"What do you mean?" Xavin asked.

"Well, I…uh…I…like girls," Karolina stuttered.

"Wait, what?!" Chase cried. "So that's why she always freaked out when I said that costumes are gay!"

"They're not!" Molly cried.

"Way to ruin a tender moment, people," Gert sighed.

"So that's all?" Xavin said. "To be honest, I'm actually relieved."

Xavin began to shapeshift again, but this time his body thinned and his hair became brown and grew longer.

"Skrulls are shapeshifters, Karolina," Xavin said. "Some of us change our gender more than most humans change their hair color."

Xavin was now a disturbingly attractive girl. Karolina's jaw dropped, and Xavin took this as a sign to continue.

"Myself included," Xavin added, taking Karolina's hands in her own. "I actually prefer being female more than male. It's just…so much easier for me. Anyway, we'll be married back on Tarnax IV, the Skrull Throneworld."

"Can…can my friends come with me?" Karolina asked. "I…I can't stand to be separated from them again."

"If that's what you want, then it'll be all right with me," Xavin nodded.

"Freakin' A!" Molly cried. "We're going to a wedding!"

"As long as nothing goes wrong," Nico groaned.

"Believe me," Xavin said, "I have the same hope."

****

On Tarnax IV, various Skrulls and people of Karolina's race had gathered for the highly anticipated wedding. As Xavin had stated, the youth of both sides fervently hoped that this wedding would put an end to years of bloodshed. The Runaways, however, hoped that they would actually survive the experience.

"Well, so long as no one tries to kill us, we're okay," Derrick said as he and the remaining Runaways (excluding Karolina) sat in the front row.

"Hey, it's like they say," Nico said, "we don't mess with them, they don't mess with us. I'm just hoping this goes smoothly."

"Hey, you notice?" Chase whispered as Karolina and Xavin (in her male Skrull form) took each other's hands. "Some of Karolina's peeps are giving us the evil eye."

"Well, we _are _the Pride's kids," Gert whispered back. "They're not too happy with what Karolina's parents did."

"I now pronounce you husband and wife," said the Skrull priest. "Now let us just get on with the party!"

"I like that guy," Chase smirked.

"Oh, come on!" a Skrull objected. "Could we at least have gotten her a better outfit that doesn't make her look like the Earthling called—what was her name—Emma Frost?!"

"Shut up, Paibok!" snapped one of Karolina's people. "You know what? I've been waiting for this!"

The Majesdanian fired off a blast of energy at the Skrull named Paibok, which triggered the process known as the "domino effect": a Skrull near Paibok changed into some sort of bat-winged creature and tackled the closest Majesdanian, another of Karolina's people fired off another rainbow blast at that same Skrull, and everything simply broke into chaos.

"Well, that went without incident," Gert said with a roll of her eyes, a human female Xavin leading the Runaways out of the wedding chapel-turned-battlefield.

"There's a ship this way!" Xavin announced. "We can use it to escape!"

"You _can _fly it, right?" Chase asked.

"Hopefully!" Xavin replied.

"We're doomed," Derrick sighed.

****

A well-known building in New York, aside from the Avengers HQ, was the Baxter Building. It housed four people who were exposed to cosmic radiation, which granted them fantastic powers. Thus, they named themselves the Fantastic Four.

Reed Richards, alias Mr. Fantastic, was currently in his lab, performing studies. With his ability to stretch himself into any length imaginable, no research was impossible, nor was any project.

Even the one that began blaring the minute the Runaways' stolen ship entered the atmosphere.

"What's going on?" asked a blonde woman as a blonde man and a bulky man who appeared to be made from orange rock came in.

"It's my new Alien Entry Sensor," Reed explained. "It looks for Skrull or Kree genetic code whenever a ship enters the atmosphere."

Reed stretched his arms and head, fingers blazing over the keys as he looked at a distant computer screen.

"So, what's the problem?" asked Ben Grimm, the hard-skinned Thing.

"Strange," Reed said. "There's only one Skrull signature, along with several human signatures…and…I can't figure this signature out."

"Well, it's the end of the world," quipped Johnny Storm, the Human Torch. "Reed doesn't know the answer to something!"

"Shut it, Torchie," Ben snapped.

"That's odd," said Sue Storm, the Invisible Woman. "Reed, your device can detect Skrull code even if they're shapeshifted, right?"

"Of course," Reed said. "But I can't understand why any Skrull would have humans ally themselves with him."

He noticed the ship, unknowing of Xavin's true nature, land in none other than Los Angeles.

"Los Angeles?" Reed said. "I thought the Skrulls weren't interested in just one of Earth's cities."

"You think we should take the Fantasti-Car and investigate?" Sue asked.

"Good idea," Reed nodded. "Maybe once we get to Los Angeles we'll get to the bottom of this."

****

As had Xavin's ship before it, another space craft entered Earth's atmosphere, cloaked to disguise itself from Reed's sensors. This one, like Xavin's, contained a single young Skrull. Unlike Xavin, however, this one had a different mission.

"You won't get away with betraying the Skrull Empire, Xavin," growled the young Skrull. "I will see to that!"

****

**Yes, the Skrull at the end is another character I made. You'll find out more about him eventually.**


	11. Runaways VS Fantastic Four

**DISCLAIMER: I own Derrick Bolris. The Misfitverse this fic takes place in belongs to Red Witch, the characters of G.I. Joe belong to Hasbro, and everything else belongs to Marvel.**

Chapter 11: Runaways VS Fantastic Four

"Holy crap," Derrick sighed as the Runaways stumbled into the Hostel.

"Took the words right out of my mouth," Chase said, immediately plopping himself on a couch to watch TV.

"We just barely escaped with our _lives_," Nico groaned.

"Well, at least the wedding itself went decently," Xavin pointed out. "Aside from the fact that I'm essentially exiled from the Skrull Throneworld."

"You could stay with us, Xavin," Karolina offered.

"I suppose I could," Xavin smiled. "If you're beside me, Karolina, I'll know I'm on the right path."

"Get a room!" Molly yelled.

"Uh, guys?" Chase said. "Look at the TV."

"This is LA news," said a woman on the television. "What appears to be the Fantasti-Car, the transport mode used by the New York heroes known as the Fantastic Four, is setting down here in Los Angeles. I'm going to try and interview Mr. Fantastic."

"The Fantastic Four?" Karolina said. "What are they doing here in LA?"

"Probably doing the dirty work their Avenger buddies couldn't do: throw us into foster care," Gert snorted.

"Excuse me! Mr. Fantastic!" the reporter said. "What exactly are you doing here in Los Angeles?"

"We've heard that there's a Skrull hiding somewhere here in Los Angeles," Reed explained, extending his head out of the Fantasti-Car. "We're here to investigate."

"What the hell?" Derrick said. "We only got back, what, five minutes ago?"

"I'm not surprised they're here for me," Xavin said grimly. "The Skrulls have had a long history with the Fantastic Four, none of it good."

"So, what do we do?" Molly asked.

"We have to confront them," Xavin said.

"What? Xavin, we can't do that!" Karolina cried. "We can't risk them taking you away!"

"Nor can we risk leading them to your lair," Xavin said.

"She's right," Nico said. "We're not running this time. We're taking this straight to them, Runaways to Fantastic Four."

****

"Come on, Reed," Johnny groaned. "Where's the Skrull?"

"Interesting," said Reed, glancing at a hand-held device. "According to this, the Skrull is moving…"

He looked up and saw the Leapfrog bounding for the Fantasti-Car.

"Straight towards us!" he finished.

The Leapfrog landed in front of the Fantasti-Car, allowing the hovering car to sail over it. The Runaways filed out of the Leapfrog, and when the Fantasti-Car landed, the Four exited their mode of transport as well. Xavin was in her Skrull form.

"What are you kids doing?" Reed asked. "Skrulls are very dangerous individuals!"

"Yeah, the only good Skrull is one that's back on his homeworld!" Johnny added.

"Throneworld," Xavin corrected.

"Whatever," Johnny said.

"If you're as much as genius as you're made out to be," Gert said, "you'd know that if Xavin was going to kill us, she'd have done it already."

"You're _siding _with a _Skrull_?!" Johnny cried, throwing his hands into the air. "I don't believe this!"

"Hang on a sec, Torchie," Ben interjected, "I think I've seen these runts before."

"Hey, you're right, Ben," Sue said, "they're the Pride's kids."

"Uh, I really don't have any affiliation with the Pride," Derrick said, raising his hand.

"Neither do I," Xavin added.

"Either way, you're going down!" Johnny yelled. "FLAME ON!"

Johnny suddenly became completely cloaked in fire, throwing a fireball directly at Xavin.

"Johnny, NO!" Sue cried, but her concern was unnecessary, as Xavin's arms became coated in the same kind of rocky hide Ben had, allowing her to deflect Johnny's fireball.

"The Super-Skrull?" Reed said.

"Heh, would've thought the Super-Skrull had the good sense to stay away from Earth after the last butt-kicking we gave him!" Johnny quipped.

Xavin's arms fell limply to her sides.

"Are you _blind_?" she asked. "I'm a Super-Skrull-_in_-_training _from Tarnax VII. I look _absolutely nothing _like Kl'rt!"

"Yeah, well, your Skrull buddies killed my father," Johnny growled. "You all look the same to me!"

He wound back to throw another fireball, but this time, Nico was ready to defend her new friend.

"Back off, hot-head," Nico warned, pricking herself.

"Hey, emo girl, you don't need to cut yourself to win me over," Johnny quipped.

"**When blood is shed, let the Staff of One emerge!**" Nico recited, releasing the Staff of One.

"What the heck?!" Johnny cried.

"**Fire extinguisher!**" Nico cried, and the item in question fell from the sky onto Johnny's head, bursting into a shower of foam that drowned out Johnny's flame. "Well, that wasn't really what I intended, but I guess it works."

"Hey!" Ben roared. "You might be kids, but _no one _does that to Torchie but me!"

Ben charged, but Molly quickly grabbed his outstretched arm and threw him into a building, using his momentum against him. Reed and Sue charged into action, launching the battle between the Runaways and the Fantastic Four into full swing.

With Johnny incapacitated, both unable to even light his finger aflame and only semi-conscious, the rest of the Four were outnumbered seven to three. Sue, however, quickly imprisoned Derrick, Chase, and Molly in a bubble.

"Hey!" Molly roared. "Let us out you freakin' bimbo!"

"Now that's just not nice," Sue remarked. "Guess I have to keep you in there until you calm down."

"Sure about that?" Gert asked as Old Lace barreled towards Sue, mouth stretched open.

Sue had no time to react, Old Lace swinging her tail around and slamming it into Sue's stomach. Her concentration broken, the Invisible Woman was unable to sustain the force field, thus releasing the trapped Runaways.

Meanwhile, Reed was confronting Nico, Karolina, and Xavin. Reed constantly stretched himself out of the way of Karolina's energy beams, Nico's spells, and Xavin's flame streams. Xavin soon deactivated her flame, however, and changed her tactics.

"Let's see how you deal with an opponent on equal footing!" she challenged, stretching herself in the same way Reed did. Xavin, however, punched Reed in the face before entangling him in her entire body, coiling around him like a snake.

"All right, _that's enough_!" Sue screamed, trapping every combatant (including Johnny) into separate bubbles. "All right, this fight is getting both sides absolutely nowhere. We need to calm down and settle this like adults."

"I thought we _were_," Chase said.

"Okay, maybe that was a bad example," Sue blinked. "Well, either way, let's just discuss this like rational people."

****

After several minutes, everyone was released from Sue's bubbles (with the exception of Johnny who insisted on attacking Xavin). After several minutes of rational speech, Reed spoke up.

"Wait a minute," Reed said, "Xavin said she's a Super-Skrull-in-training. The Skrulls are training children to be super-soldiers?"

"Look for answers somewhere else, Mr. Less-Than-Fantastic," Nico said. "We're done here."

"Hey, hold up!" Ben cried as the Runaways entered the Leapfrog. "We can put in a good word for you with the Avengers!"

Some of the Runaways did pause at that.

"Then maybe we can get you some mentors, have you properly trained…" Reed listed.

This prompted the Runaways to leave.

"Well, that mission wasn't a total success," Reed said as the Leapfrog leapt away, "but it wasn't a complete failure, either."

"Are you kidding?!" Johnny snapped. "Reed, we just let a _Skrull _get away!"

"Oh, be quiet, Johnny," Sue admonished. "Xavin actually seems like one of the few good Skrulls. I just wish she and her teammates would trust us more, though with their history I honestly can't blame them."

"Let's just get back to the Baxter Building," Ben sighed. "Doctor Doom probably attacked while we were out."

"Don't jinx it, Ben!" Johnny groaned.

****

On the S.H.I.E.L.D Helicarrier, Captain America came to visit Morbius again.

"It's been three months, Michael," Captain America said. "You have to have decided by now."

"I have," Morbius said. "I have decided to become an Avenger."

"Then welcome to the team, son," Captain America smiled.

"Do not let my decision swell your head, _Captain_," Morbius snarled. "I only concluded that being an Avenger was the lesser of two evils."

"Either way, you'll be a fine addition to the team," Captain America said. "Now come on, I'll take you to the Avengers HQ."


	12. Interesting Developments

**DISCLAIMER: I own Derrick Bolris. The Misfitverse this story takes place in belongs to Red Witch, the characters of G.I. Joe belong to Hasbro, and everything else belongs to Marvel.**

Chapter 12: Interesting Developments

A month passed after Xavin's wedding to Karolina. Despite the chaos that ensued after the ceremony, seemingly keeping in tune with the norm for super-powered weddings, Karolina and Xavin did quickly fall in love. With influence from Karolina, the other Runaways managed to fully accept Xavin as one of their own.

This, of course, meant that she would assist her new team in their supervillain-fighting.

"Come on, hold still!" cried a massive man in a costume resembling a humanoid rhinoceros. At present, he was throwing various objects at Karolina, attempting to hit her.

"Sorry, can't do that," Karolina replied, firing off a beam of energy straight at the man called Rhino. Though it hit him in the chest, it did rather little.

"Leave her alone!" Xavin, in Skrull form, roared. With her love for Karolina fueling her, she used her shape-shifting abilities to transform into a Triceratops dinosaur that rammed Rhino in the stomach, knocking the supervillain onto his back.

"Hey!" Rhino yelled as he got up. "Nobody does that to the Rhino!"

"Someone just did," Derrick pointed out before blasting Rhino in the face with a lightning blast from his palm. "And someone also just electrocuted you."

"Nico, mind finishing this up?" Gert asked.

"Don't mind if I do," said Nico, pointing her staff at Rhino. "**Hotfoot**!"

Rhino's feet suddenly caught fire, and in a fit of screaming, he hopped from one foot to the other in an attempt to put out the flames. This, however, left large potholes from where he hopped, and after twenty minutes he tripped and fell through a building. When he fell, however, he somehow plummeted even deeper, screaming again for another few seconds before finally landing.

"Maybe that wasn't the best idea," Nico observed, looking over the damage done to the street.

"What just happened?" Chase asked.

"That was awesome!" Molly cried happily.

"Guys?" Karolina said. "I think something weird is going on where Rhino fell."

"Yeah," Gert nodded. "Last I checked, the street wasn't that deep."

"Should we investigate?" Xavin asked.

"Might as well," Nico shrugged. "We'll need to get out of here, anyway. The police should be too busy getting Rhino out to worry about us. Xavin, can you get us down there safely?"

"Of course," Xavin nodded as she returned to human form, and with a movement of her hands, the Runaways were surrounded by a force field bubble that she levitated down the hole Rhino had made.

****

Minutes later, the Runaways had left the unconscious Rhino behind as they explored the rather spacious area where he had fallen. Machinery littered the room, one of which was a tank containing a white-haired boy who appeared to be in his late teens.

"What is this place?" Gert asked. "Looks like some bad sci-fi movie set."

"And who the heck is that?" Chase asked, pointing at the boy in the tank.

"We may be able to find that out," Xavin said, gesturing towards a computer console. "I think we can access that console."

Xavin went to the console, and after she fiddled with the buttons, the machine turned on. Ten blank spaces appeared across the computer screen.

"Please insert password," droned the computer.

"We…may have a problem," Xavin said.

"No, you think?" Gert said sarcastically.

"Let me try," Chase said.

"You know the password?" Xavin asked.

"No, I just want to try out something I saw in a movie," Chase said, moving Xavin aside and delivering a swift kick to the console.

"What good would that--?!" Nico began, but the computer interrupted.

"Password accepted," beeped the computer.

"I don't believe it," Derrick shook his head. "A movie stunt actually worked for once."

"Well, now that the unorthodox tactics are out of the way," Xavin said, "let's see who this is."

Unbeknownst to the Runaways, a small twitch of movement had occurred in the tank when Chase kicked the console.

"Hmm," Xavin hummed. "This is…rather disturbing."

"What is it?" Molly asked.

"Well, according to this," Xavin began, looking to the boy in the tank, "his name is Noh-Varr. He is of an alien species the Skrulls have been at war with for ages, the Kree."

"He's an alien?" Karolina said. "He doesn't look like an alien."

"I can, too, when I want," Xavin smiled. "But you're right, Noh-Varr looks little different than any human. He is actually of the White Kree, which have a more human appearance than the normal Kree."

"So what's he doing here?" Gert said. "Can't be for LA's avocado and cream cheese rolls."

"No," Xavin said, "he crash-landed here some time ago. He apparently declared war on Earth after the organization called S.H.I.E.L.D apprehended him. The ones holding him here now had requested Noh-Varr to be transferred here in order to try and 'reform' him."

"So who're the guys keeping Novar in that big tube?" Molly asked.

"_Noh-Varr _is being held captive here by…hold on a minute," Xavin said, "I'm trying to figure out what this word is."

"What word?" Nico asked.

"The people holding Noh-Varr call themselves the, uh," Xavin said, attempting to figure out how to pronounce the word. And then she said it. "They call themselves the Illuminati."

"Illu-no-what-y?" Chase repeated.

The tank suddenly shattered, and the Kree called Noh-Varr stood in the wreckage.

"Illuminati," corrected Noh-Varr, glaring at the Runaways. "Where are they?"

****

"Okay, if you could be any superhero," a portly teen asked a dark-haired Latino boy as they walked down a sidewalk far away from the commotion, "who'd it be?"

"Easy," replied the Latino. "Spider-Man. No question."

"Spider-Man?" scoffed the larger boy. "You're off your meds, Vic. The correct answer is Mr. Fantastic. You know, big brain of the Fantastic Four?"

"Yeah, well," Victor Mancha said, "I'm not particularly interested in getting an NBA contract via stretching powers, Jorge."

"Missing out, man!" Jorge laughed. "You moved in here a month or so back, so why don't you try and live life? Like my dad always says, when you're old, you don't regret the stuff you did, you regret the stuff you _didn't _do."

"Whatever, Jorge," Victor rolled his eyes. "I'm going to my house."

"Okay, man, see you!" Jorge said as he and Victor went their separate routes.

Victor came to the front door of his house. He put his hand on the doorknob, but turned his head to the sky before going inside.

"Wish I could be a superhero," Victor said to himself before entering.


	13. Exploding Like a SuperNohVarr

**We're already farther than I got with the last fic. I think that's good...is it?**

**DISCLAIMER: I own Derrick Bolris and the Skrull who has a beef with Xavin. This Misfitverse belongs to Red Witch, the characters of G.I. Joe belong to Hasbro, and everything else belongs to Marvel.**

Chapter 13: Exploding Like a Super-Noh-Varr

"Where are the Illuminati?" Noh-Varr growled.

"And you think we know because…?" Gert asked.

"The building we're standing in a hidden facility owned by the Illuminati," Noh-Varr explained. "Only people with some kind of connection to the Illuminati know where this base is."

"Actually, we kind of stumbled on this by accident," Karolina explained.

In a sudden blur, Noh-Varr's hand was at Karolina's throat.

"I've been down here long enough to know a lie when I hear one," snarled Noh-Varr.

"Leave her alone!" Xavin barked, ensnaring Noh-Varr in an elongated arm. The Kree paused, sniffing the air.

"Wait a minute," Noh-Varr said slowly. He then pulled Xavin's arm off of him and threw it back at her, entangling her inside it.

"Xavin!" Karolina cried.

"You're a Skrull," Noh-Varr stated.

"I am," Xavin said as she untangled herself and got up.

"Which means I have to kill you now," Noh-Varr said.

"Guess again, Nerd-Varr!" Chase snapped, using his Fistigons to surround Noh-Varr in a swirling mass of flame.

"It's _Noh_-Varr," the Kree retorted, quickly rushing through the flames and punching Chase in the stomach, sending him tumbling across the floor.

Noh-Varr's status as a Kree super-soldier was no longer in doubt. Old Lace charged the white-haired teen, but Noh-Varr simply grabbed the dinosaur's tail and swung her into Chase. Due to the psychic link between Gert and Old Lace, the impact Old Lace felt was not avoided by Gert, who keeled over from the pain.

Karolina fired off a beam of energy, but Noh-Varr grabbed Nico and threw her into the beam's path before kicking the black-haired girl with enough force to launch Nico into Karolina. Derrick, suddenly filled with rage, used electricity from the machine Noh-Varr had previously been monitored by to launch a bolt of electricity at the Kree. Noh-Varr, amazingly, ignored the bolt even though it struck him square-on in the chest, and simply kneed Derrick into the computer console.

And then there was one.

One Molly Hayes.

"You big jerk!" Molly cried, standing next to Rhino's still-unconscious body.

"Don't worry," Noh-Varr said, "I'll make it painless if you tell me where the Illuminati are."

"You're the one who's gonna need to worry!" Molly retorted as she (much to Noh-Varr's surprise) lifted Rhino high over her head and then threw him at Noh-Varr.

"Interesting," said Noh-Varr as he observed Rhino's massive body sailing towards him. Using his above-average speed, he managed to dodge Rhino and went to Molly, holding the girl up by one arm. "You're strong, I'll give you that. But I could still kill you right now if I wanted to. All you need to do to make your death quick, painless, and easy, is one thing…tell me where the Illuminati are."

"We don't even know what an Illumi-nutty is!" Molly snapped, winding back one fist. "So back off!"

Molly's punch struck home, ramming her fist into Noh-Varr's face. Forced to drop Molly, the Kree was sent shooting into the shattered remains of the tank from whence he came, bursting through it and only stopping when he made a rather large impression in the wall.

"I'll get you, Illuminati…and your little dog, too," Noh-Varr groaned before falling onto the floor, unconscious.

"Thank you, hatchling," Xavin said as she helped a groaning Karolina up. "That should keep Noh-Varr down for quite a while."

"Derrick?" Nico said as she slowly helped up her friend. "You okay?"

"Why is it I get the worst injury whenever we're in a fight?" Derrick complained.

"Must be your cuteness," Nico muttered.

"Huh?" Derrick grunted.

"Uh, nothing," Nico stammered. "Everyone else okay?"

"I'll be sore for a while, but otherwise fine," Gert reported. "Same with Old Lace."

"I'll be okay when we find out what the heck an Illo-ni-mat-ee is," Chase said.

"It's _Illuminati_, sweetie," Gert corrected him. "What do we do about the Psycho from Outer Space?"

"Well, he's too much of a nutjob to keep around," Nico sighed. "Not much we can do for him, actually."

"We're just going to leave him here?" Karolina asked.

"If he's as strong as I think he is, _we'll _be the ones who need to hit the road soon," Nico said. "Speaking of road hitting, how you doing, Molly?"

"I'm a little sleepy," Molly said, rubbing her eyes.

"You have enough strength to throw horn-head back up to street level?" Nico asked, jabbing a thumb at Rhino. "After that, we'll get out of here and you can take a nap back at the Hostel."

"I'll try," Molly shrugged.

****

The ship containing the vengeful young Skrull landed atop a building in downtown Los Angeles. The Skrull departed his craft, showing his red-and-black jumpsuit with black shoulder armor. He looked down, and shifted his form to match that of a human, before he suddenly disappeared in a red-and-black blur.


	14. Alex Wilder 101

**DISCLAIMER: I own Derrick Bolris and the Skrull who has issues with Xavin (seen at the end of the previous chapter). The Misfitverse this takes place in belongs to Red Witch, the characters of G.I. Joe belong to Hasbro, and everything else belongs to Marvel.**

Chapter 14: Alex Wilder 101

One week passed after the Runaways' battle with Noh-Varr. The Kree super-soldier had disappeared, presumably hunting the mysterious Illuminati. As long as he never strayed into Los Angeles, the Runaways didn't care where Noh-Varr went.

At present, the team was returning to the Hostel after yet another fight against yet another supervillain. This time, a woman in a white-and-yellow costume calling herself Moonstone attacked Los Angeles. Although Karolina and Moonstone attempted to outmatch each other's energy beams, Nico and Xavin quickly ended the fight with their own abilities.

The Leapfrog once again landed in the Hostel, and the Runaways piled out. Most of the team went to do various tasks, but Derrick approached Nico.

"Hey, Nico?" he asked.

"Yeah?" Nico said.

"Look, uh," Derrick said, nervous for the first time in recent memory, "you think sometime we could…I don't know…go for a movie or something?"

Nico stared for a moment before looking away.

"I…I don't know, Derrick," Nico said. "I'd like to, I really would, but…after the last guy—you know, the one who betrayed us so he could cause the end of the world—I just…I don't know."

"Oh, okay, that's…that's okay," stuttered Derrick.

Nico blinked solemnly for a moment before she turned to him again.

"When you met X-23 back in New York," she said, "didn't she say you might feel better about something if you talk about it?"

"Yeah, she did," Derrick nodded.

"M-maybe I can try," Nico said.

"Nico, you don't have to—" Derrick said.

"No, I want to," Nico interrupted. "Come on, I owe you some explanations."

Nico led Derrick to a room with only one notable feature, namely a wall covered in photos. One photo had the Runaways on it, along with a dark-skinned boy with glasses and a rather untidy afro.

"This was taken about a year before we ran away," Nico said, gesturing to the photo.

"Really?" Derrick said, tilting his head to the side. "That girl with the glasses next to Gert is you?"

"Yeah, I wear contacts now," Nico said. "Anyway, see this guy in the middle? The one with the afro?"

"Yeah, what about him?" Derrick said.

"His name is Alex Wilder," Nico said. "He's the first boy I ever kissed, and also the one who betrayed us."

"Ouch," Derrick winced.

"Alex was called a prodigy by some people," Nico said. "He was a real genius when it came to stuff like strategy and tactics…maybe too much of a genius."

"How so?" Derrick asked.

"That year before we ran away," Nico began, "Alex discovered what the Pride really did at their annual gathering. Most of us thought it was a fundraiser or something. Turns out it was really Alex's parents stabbing a little girl and my own parents stealing her soul and sticking it in a jar."

"That's just sick," Derrick spat.

"Tell me about it," Nico nodded. "Alex saw that a year before the rest of us did. But he didn't tell us…somehow he thought his parents were heroes."

"Did he get dropped on his head as a baby?!" Derrick cried.

"That's what Chase thought," Nico said. "Alex manipulated all of us. _He_ brought us to where he saw our parents kill that girl, and we all saw them kill another one. _He_ led us to Gert's basement, where we found Old Lace. _He _knew that Karolina and her parents were aliens, and made it seem like he came up with the concept on the fly. _He _led us to Chase's parents' workshop, where we picked up Chase's first Fistigons."

"First ones?" Derrick asked.

"Yeah, they got destroyed," Nico explained. "The ones he's wearing now are spares. Anyway, Alex finally brought us to the Vivarium."

"I know I'm asking a lot of questions, but what's a Vivarium?" Derrick asked.

"It's where our parents offered up the souls they took to these big guys called the Gibborim," Nico explained. "Alex brought us there, and then he finally told us the whole story...after everyone but me was knocked unconscious. He offered me to be one of the six who survive after the Gibborim wiped out everyone else on the planet, along with himself, his parents, and my parents."

"Obviously you refused, seeing as everyone's still here," Derrick said.

"Actually, I punched him in the jaw," Nico said. "But, yeah, it was meant to be taken as a 'no'."

She sighed.

"I loved him," Nico said sadly. "I loved him then, and even after all he did, I…I think I still do."

"GET AWAY FROM ME, YOU FREAK!" Molly roared from outside.

"Chase must have tried cheating at a board game," Nico shook her head.

"Before we go…you feel any better?" Derrick asked.

"A little," Nico smiled. "Thanks."

The two went outside, but what they found was not Chase cheating at a board game. What they found was a large pillar of stone with a large hole at the bottom. While Xavin merely glared, Gert, Karolina, and Chase were staring down a foe that they had seen before. Their foe was a brown-haired teenager who was holding Molly down with his foot.

Lance Alvers, also known as Avalanche from the Misfits.

"What's up?" Lance said.


	15. Misfit Attack?

**DISCLAIMER: I own Derrick Bolris and the Skrull who has issues with Xavin. The Misfitverse this story takes place in belongs to Red Witch, the characters of G.I. Joe belong to Hasbro, and everything else belongs to Marvel.**

Chapter 15: Misfit Attack?

"Avalanche," Derrick growled. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"I'm here to take you down," Lance replied. "And so are the other Misfits."

"That so?" Chase said, flaring up his Fistigons.

"Yeah," Lance smirked, stomping with his free foot and sending a shockwave of earth towards the Runaways. Molly, however, had something to say about that.

"Get off of me, you big jerkface!" Molly roared, throwing a screaming Lance off of her and through the ceiling.

"Blob!" called Lance as he was rocketed through the ceiling.

In several seconds, Fred 'the Blob' Dukes dropped through the ceiling and landed on the floor of the Hostel, fists clenched and ready for a brawl.

"There's no way you're getting off easy this time!" Fred barked as he charged the Runaways.

"Xavin, trip him up!" Nico cried.

"It shall be done!" Xavin replied, using Mr. Fantastic's power of elasticity to stretch out an arm in front of Fred's legs, tripping the large mutant and causing him to fall flat on his face.

"You're gonna pay for that!" Fred roared as he got up.

"Let's see just how tough that skin of yours really is!" Chase yelled, using his Fistigons to surround Blob with a tornado of fire. "Can you break through that?"

"I know someone who can turn your own power against you!" Fred retorted. "Quicksilver, do it now!"

In a blur, the flaming tornado was vanquished by a tornado of wind, and in Fred's place stood a skinny boy with white hair. This was Pietro Maximoff, known as the vain and prank-loving Quicksilver.

"Think you're so tough, huh?" Pietro smirked.

"More than you," Nico said as blood trickled from her finger courtesy of her switchblade. "**When blood is shed—Unh!**"

Pietro suddenly snatched the Staff of One out of Nico's chest, abruptly ending her usual recital. He now stood leaning on the wall, absently twirling the staff in one hand.

"Uh-huh," Pietro smirked. "You're pretty much nothing without your big stick. You know that, right?"

"I know you make supermodels look like they don't give a damn about how they look," Derrick retorted, shooting a bolt of electricity above Pietro's head.

"And what was that supposed to do?" Pietro quipped.

"Oh, just drop some rocks and _mud _and _dirt _on your brainless head," Derrick smirked.

"I'm not--!" Pietro began to counter, but then looked up at the described objects about to fall onto him. "Oh, no."

The minor rockslide buried Pietro completely, and the Runaways put their backs to each other, waiting for any other Misfit attack as another earthquake from Lance started up.

"Why are the Misfits only attacking one at a time?" Karolina asked.

"It doesn't really make sense," agreed Gert, "unless of course they just wanted us to get Quicksilver out of their hair."

"Has to be Wavedancer," Derrick growled. "That arrogant Ariel rip-off thinks that she and her team are _so _much better than anyone who isn't associated with G.I. Joe. She's just using this tactic to prove it."

"I guess I need to have a little chat with Wanda," Nico growled, Old Lace handing her the Staff of One. "I honestly didn't think she'd tell the other Misfits."

"Yeah, well, they're not sending us back to foster care!" Chase vowed, holding up his Fistigons, only for a wad of slime to suddenly slam into them. "Oh, come on!"

A long, green tongue suddenly shot from the shadows, aiming for Chase's Fistigons again, but Old Lace managed to catch it in her teeth.

"Good catch, girl!" Gert encouraged. "Now, pull!"

Old Lace complied, and with a violent yank, another teenager with lighter brown hair stumbled out of the shadows, withdrawing his tongue back into his mouth. Although this appeared to be Todd Tolensky, the Misfit codenamed Toad, Nico knew otherwise.

"Wait a minute," Nico said before she pointed her staff at 'Todd'. "**Revelations!**"

A red beam of light struck "Todd" in the chest, and immediately afterward, the supposed Misfit's skin began contorting in the same manner Xavin's did whenever she shape-shifted.

"Wha-what's happening?!" cried the false Todd as his true form was revealed.

The Skrull in the red-and-black jumpsuit.

"Wait, Toad was a Xavin?" Molly asked.

"They _all _were Skrulls," Nico explained while Xavin merely stared harshly at the unknown young Skrull. "Avalanche, Blob, Quicksilver, _and _Toad…they were all this Skrull."

"Which would explain why they were only attacking one at a time," Gert said. "There was only one of him."

"From what Nico told us from her trip to Doc Strange's, though, I don't think Derrick's guess was too far off from the truth," Chase snorted.

"You," Xavin said, changing into Skrull form. "What are you doing here?"

"Trying to make you pay for betraying the Skrull Empire!" the Skrull snapped.

"You know this guy?" Karolina asked.

"His name is Ri'ann Parrn," Xavin explained. "Back in the Super-Skrull training program, we were…rivals."

"That's putting it mildly!" Ri'ann snapped. "You always thought you were better than me, just because you had Kl'rt's powers! And one month ago you ran off with your precious bride while I was the only one out of the two of us who remained loyal to the Empire!"

"Xavin's not like that, pal," Derrick said, "though Wavedancer from the Misfits probably is."

"Speaking of which," Ri'ann said, turning to Nico. "How did you know that I wasn't the real Toad?"

"Simple," Nico said. "I met Scarlet Witch a few months back. She said that Toad, Xi, and Wavedancer were in Japan, and will be for a while. In other words, turning into Toad was your giveaway."

"Why frame the Misfits, anyway?" Karolina asked.

"Well, I had hoped to stir up anger amongst Earth's superhumans so that they would war against each other," Ri'ann answered, "or at the very least against the Misfits. Then, the planet would be in chaos, allowing my people to invade without casualties to our side. That, of course, was just a small side bonus compared to the true reward for killing that traitor!"

"I was only doing what my parents arranged for me, Ri'ann," Xavin said, narrowing her eyes.

"True," Ri'ann admitted, "the war with the Majesdanians was a waste of time. It wasn't really getting our people anywhere, anyway. Still, you left the Empire, and for that, you must pay!"

Ri'ann's declaration was used in conjunction with Lance's powers, triggering an earthquake that once again gave the Runaways a difficult time keeping their balance.

"Let's take this out into the open!" Ri'ann shouted, thrusting his arms to his sides, the earth beneath his feet taking himself and the Runaways through the wall and into the streets of Los Angeles.

****

There was now a large circular mound of earth in the middle of the park, though since there were only some rocks there anyway, it didn't really bother anyone. What bothered people was the fact that Ri'ann and the Runaways were present on top of the arena-like structure.

"This matter concerns only myself and Xavin," Ri'ann stated. "The rest of you, even the Dean girl, aren't allowed to interfere."

"No!" Karolina cried, but Xavin looked to her.

"Karolina, this may be the only way to get Ri'ann to leave us be," Xavin said. "I have to face him…alone."

"If it makes you feel any better," Ri'ann said, "I, like Xavin, can't use all of my powers at once. Aside from different powers, it's a fair fight…like it should be."

"Well…good luck, Xavin," Nico said as Karolina gave her partner a hug for good luck.

Xavin stood at one side of the arena, with Ri'ann at the other. Both Super-Skrulls-in-training stared each other down. And then Ri'ann spoke.

"Let the battle begin," said the vengeful Skrull.


	16. SuperSkrull Duelsday

**DISCLAIMER: I own Derrick Bolris and Ri'ann Parrn. The Misfitverse this takes place in belongs to Red Witch, the characters of G.I. Joe belong to Hasbro, and everything else belongs to Marvel.**

Chapter 16: Super-Skrull Duels-day

Xavin and Ri'ann stared each other down, each one waiting for the other to make a move. With a smirk, Ri'ann made that first move, using Quicksilver's speed to strike Xavin in the stomach with a sudden punch. The Skrull Runaway quickly countered by coating her arms in the Thing's rocky hide, blocking a flurry of super-fast punches and kicks from Ri'ann and bowling her assailant over with a punch of her own.

Ri'ann switched his powers to that of Toad, using the frog-like mutant's agility to land safely on all fours. As Xavin charged, Ri'ann spat a wad of slime at the ground in front of Xavin, melting a pothole that Xavin tripped in.

"A little bit of trivia for you," Ri'ann smirked. "Some species of Earth toads can spit acid, including the Misfit one."

"You said it was a fair fight, you big jerk!" Molly roared.

"I did, hatchling," Ri'ann replied, "but in the Skrull Empire, a fair fight consists of being on the same power level as one's opponent, not the tactics one uses."

Xavin quickly set her body alight with the Human Torch's flames, rising into the air and throwing a stream of fireballs at Ri'ann. Again using Quicksilver's powers, Ri'ann evaded each one before switching his powers to that of Toad again, using his tongue to latch onto Xavin's body. This, however, proved to be a mistake, as Ri'ann's tongue was quickly burned by Xavin's flaming body.

"You never could get out of that habit, Ri'ann," Xavin said.

"At least I didn't leave my friends and family back on the Throneworld!" Ri'ann snapped.

"I am an exile, Ri'ann," Xavin said. "My family is dead, killed in the war with the Majesdanians. The Runaways are now my friends, and by threatening them, you are my enemy."

"Good!" Ri'ann cried, shifting his powers to that of Blob while Xavin donned the Thing's skin again.

Ri'ann's now bulky arms were spread wide as he charged Xavin, the Skrull Runaway doing the same. The two Super-Skrulls-in-training locked arms, each one trying to outdo the other in strength. Neither dared to switch to another power, for fear that their opponent would gain the upper hand.

"How long are they gonna arm-wrestle?" Molly asked.

"Long enough to do _this_!" Ri'ann cried, snaking his arm under one of Xavin's and throwing his foe over his shoulder.

"XAVIN!" Karolina cried.

In response to his partner's call, Xavin once again utilized Johnny Storm's powers again, this time soaring straight into Ri'ann and bowling over the Skrull in red-and-black. The two tumbled on the ground before Ri'ann used Toad's leg strength to kick Xavin off. Xavin quickly recovered, circling around in mid-air and then landing.

"Like I always said," Xavin smirked. "If you can fight the way that Earthlings call 'dirty', so can I."

Xavin then turned invisible.

"What?!" Ri'ann yelled, spinning around wildly with Blob's strength and indestructible skin bulking up his arms. "Where are you, traitor?!"

"Right here," Xavin replied from behind Ri'ann, turning one arm into a Thing arm and then punching Ri'ann in the jaw.

Although initially stunned, Ri'ann recovered and then countered by shrinking his arms back to their normal size, extending his hands out, and activating Avalanche's powers. From the earth beneath Xavin's feet, a dome emerged, threatening to close around her. To escape, Xavin stretched herself through the cracks in the closing dome, forming herself into a wheel and running over Ri'ann.

"Just give up, Ri'ann," Xavin said as she unfolded herself.

"Never!" Ri'ann bellowed, performing an impressive leap over Xavin's head, landing just behind her, and then swiftly kicking her in the back.

Xavin grunted, falling forward onto her face. She tried to rise, but Ri'ann pinned her down with his foot.

"And so it ends," Ri'ann said, arms enlarging again and drawing back one fist.

"NO!" Karolina cried, tears coming from her eyes. "XAVIN!"

"It seems she truly cares about you," Ri'ann observed. "And here I believed she would despise being engaged to a Skrull, as her wedding to her people's sworn enemies was essentially for nothing."

"It was not for nothing," Xavin growled.

"How so?" Ri'ann asked. "The Skrulls and Majesdanians are still waging a war with no end in sight. You have been exiled from the Throneworld. There is no place for you. How could that wedding have been worth _anything_?"

"Because, as you know, I am no longer a part of the Skrull Empire," Xavin began, slowly turning her arms into orange rock once again. "Despite this, there _is_ still a place for me. In the Empire, I endured much for my people and my allies, only to be eventually cast away. Now, my people are Earth's people. My allies are six children who have suffered similar betrayals by their own families."

"And what might be your point?" Ri'ann asked.

"My point, Ri'ann," Xavin said, "is this."

She flung Ri'ann off of her and into a tree, where he was pecked on the head several times by a bird and then fell onto the ground with a painful splat.

"I am a Runaway," Xavin finished.

A chorus of cheers from Xavin's team rang through the air. Karolina ran to hug her partner, and the remaining Runaways crowded around Xavin. As words of encouragement ran abound, Ri'ann Parrn rose to his feet.

"This is not over, Xavin," Ri'ann growled. "You may have won today…but someday, when the Skrull Empire invades…you and the rest of this planet will perish."

In a blur and a rush of wind, Ri'ann was gone.

"Is that the last we'll see of him?" Nico asked.

"I doubt it," Xavin sighed. "Ri'ann was always stubborn. He will most likely appear again, and when he does, it will be when the Skrulls invade Earth. And he will definitely be on their side."

"So, what do we do about him?" Derrick asked.

"All we can do is hope that being among Earthlings will somehow change him," said Xavin. "Hopefully for the better."

"Meantime, we need to book," Chase said. "I saw some people calling the police on their cells."

"Which always means the looming threat of foster care," Gert groaned.

****

Back in the Hostel, something was about to happen.

The Runaways had just reentered the Hostel. When they came out of the Leapfrog, a yellow machine suddenly appeared in a burst of mist.

"It never fails!" Derrick cried, throwing his hands into the air. "We just got back, and already something weird happens!"

"Okay…that's definitely Derrick," said a voice from the machine, "I'm in the right time period."

Out of the time machine stepped an older version of Gert, darker hair being the main difference. By her side was a larger version of Old Lace. She was clutching her side, as if there was a wound there.

"There's something I need to tell you all," said the older Gert.


	17. Blast from the Future

**And so begins the Victor Mancha arc! Raise your hand if you've been waiting for this!**

**DISCLAIMER: I own Derrick Bolris and Ri'ann Parrn. The Misfitverse this takes place in belongs to Red Witch, the characters of G.I. Joe belong to Hasbro, and everything else belongs to Marvel.**

Chapter 17: Blast from the Future

"Who the hell are you?" Gert asked, a confused Old Lace staring down the newcomer.

"I'm you," responded the other Gert. "Or at least I will be. Call me Arsenic, mainly for the purposes of telling two Gertrudes apart."

"And you're here for…?" Derrick asked as the two Old Laces began sniffing each other.

"There's…a threat, in my time," Arsenic began, "he killed the rest of my team, along with the Avengers, the X-Men, the Misfits, the Fantastic Five…all of them…dead."

"Who could have such power?" Xavin asked.

"His name is…Victorious," Arsenic answered.

"What? 'Victorious'?" Chase snickered. "Who calls himself that?"

"Someone you shouldn't underestimate," Arsenic said, pulling a photograph out of her pocket. "This is Victorious when he was in this time."

Nico took the photograph and looked at it. The photo was of someone they had never met, but in truth, he had not been in Los Angeles long enough for them to meet him.

It was Victor Mancha.

"You guys…have always been my closest friends…and one of you even more than that," Arsenic said, looking to Chase. "Please, you have to take down Victor Mancha before he grows too powerful."

"His real name's Victor?!" Chase laughed. "Man, now 'Victorious' seems even lamer!"

"Chase…" Arsenic smiled. "Seeing you so alive makes me feel…so much better…"

Arsenic suddenly fell to her knees, Chase coming to her as quickly as possible.

"Nico, get over here!" Chase said. "Use a spell or something!"

"No, Chase," Arsenic said. "Let her…save her spells…for when she really needs them…like when you take on Victor's father…the greatest evil in the universe…and the one who controls Victorious in his efforts...to wipe out all heroes on the planet."

She looked into Chase's eyes.

"Chase…Talkback…" Arsenic said. "I love you."

And then Arsenic died, the older Old Lace following suit.

"Damn it, I hate seeing people die," Derrick swore. "Reminds me of that army lab."

"Yes," Xavin said. "Your experiences are a testament to the cruelty of some humans, Derrick. But what will we do about…Arsenic?"

"We do what she wanted us to do," Chase said, holding Arsenic's body in his arms. "We find this Victor Mancha kid…and we take him out."

"Shouldn't we bury her first?" Karolina asked. "You know, make sure she has a proper burial or something?"

"I don't know," Gert shook her head. "This might be another of our parents' mind-freaks. This _is _my parents' time machine. What if this is some messed-up trick?"

"But what if it's real?" Molly asked. "What if there is some freaky guy that'll beat up all the superheroes?"

"Molly's right, Gert," Nico said. "It's a chance worth taking. If we don't, we may as well end up like Arsenic."

"Exactly," Gert said. "What kind of future was Arsenic from, anyway? For all we know, she could be working with the nutjobs of S.H.I.E.L.D to hunt down people like us!"

"We should still pursue this Victor," Xavin said.

"Fine," Gert grunted.

****

Michael Morbius was tired of being proven wrong all the time.

He had believed that the blood-transfusion experiment would cure his blood disease, but instead it turned him into a living vampire. He had believed that his newfound power made him invincible, but the Runaways and X-23 of the X-Men disproved this theory. He had honestly thought that his life could get no worse when he first became a vampire.

Sitting in the Avengers HQ, Morbius was proven wrong once again.

"Don't you dare touch that bottle, Thor!" yelled Hawkeye. "I mean it!"

"She-Hulk, Warbird, stop wrestling!" Iron Man cried. "You're going to put a hole through the wall! Again!"

"Falcon, stop drooling at Warbird and She-Hulk!" Captain America ordered. "Women are not objects! And put that camera away!"

"I hate it here," Morbius mumbled, his head in his hands. "I hate it here so much. Why can something not happen to get this madness to stop?"

"Michael, don't talk like that," Captain America said. "You need to be optimistic about your situation."

"How?!" Morbius snapped. "Look around you!"

"Point taken," Captain America said, observing the insanity that surrounded him. "Still, there's something I'll need your help with."

"And what would that be?" Morbius sneered.

"S.H.I.E.L.D gave us the all-clear," Captain America said. "The Avengers are going to Los Angeles."

****

**Can anyone guess what's going to happen next?**


	18. Runaways VS Avengers

**This chapter's a lot longer than the last one. Might be the longest one so far.**

**DISCLAIMER: I own Derrick Bolris and Ri'ann Parrn. The Misfitverse this story takes place in belongs to Red Witch, the characters of G.I. Joe belong to Hasbro, and everything else belongs to Marvel.**

Chapter 18: Runaways VS Avengers

"Come on, Vic!" Jorge said to his friend as they watched their school's football team play. "What's a few metal detectors?"

"Don't know," Victor shrugged. "My mom just wants to move."

"Dude, you just got here!" Jorge cried. "Who am I gonna room with when we go to college?"

"Jorge, I don't think you get to choose your roommate at college," Victor said. "Besides, I…whoa."

"What?" Jorge said, his gaze following Victor's into the sky. "Holy crap!"

The Leapfrog crashed down onto the playing field, scattering the football players, Jorge and Victor glued to their seats. The Runaways piled out of the Leapfrog, and any remaining students fled.

"Nice reception," Gert said.

"Okay, so, which one is Victor Mancha?" Nico asked.

"Uh, that's me," Victor said, raising his hand. "What do you need?"

"You wouldn't believe us if we told you," Derrick said, "unless of course you buy into stories like 'future-version-of-our-friend-comes-and-tells-us-you'll-turn-evil-and-kill-all-the-heroes-on-the-planet'."

"What?!" Victor cried. "Are you serious?"

"Hey, Vic's not gonna turn evil or any crap like that!" Jorge said. "At least I don't _think _he will."

"Hang on, who are you guys?" Victor asked.

"You familiar with the term 'the Pride's kids'?" Chase asked.

"Wait, _you're _the Pride's kids?" Victor asked.

"Even though two of us have no connection to the Pride whatsoever," Derrick said, rolling his eyes.

"Even so," a voice said from the sidelines, "we need you all to step away from the student."

Most of the Runaways tensed: they knew that voice. Derrick and Xavin, however, were somewhat clueless. And then they turned.

There, standing firmly a short distance away from them, were Captain America, the Vision, Iron Man, Hawkeye, She-Hulk, and Morbius.

"Captain America," Nico said, narrowing her eyes.

"Got a lot of guts, huh, Cap?" Chase snarled. "Doesn't look like they match your brains!"

"What are you talking about?" Captain America asked.

"Are you kidding?!" Derrick cried. "You're standing next to _Morbius_, of all people!"

"Believe me, I wish myself to be here no more than you do," Morbius sighed.

"Ms. Minoru," Captain America said, "I don't want to believe that S.H.I.E.L.D.'s director is right about you, and that you're only trying to take over Los Angeles the same way your parents did. Please, prove me wrong by stepping away from Mr. Mancha."

"Can't," Nico replied, pricking herself once again. "**When blood is shed, let the Staff of One emerge!**"

Captain America whispered something to the Vision, who phased through the ground in response, before turning to the Runaways again.

"Don't do this," he said sternly. "You're too young to throw your lives away fighting supervillains."

"Correct me if I'm wrong," Xavin growled, "but are Multiple of the X-Men and Trinity of the Misfits not younger than most of us are?"

"You don't seem to have a problem with them running around and saving the day, Captain Hypocrite," Derrick spat. "Some hero you are."

"Jerk," Molly added.

"Kids have a point, Cap," Hawkeye chuckled.

"Why won't you listen?" Captain America said, ignoring Hawkeye's comment. "I'm only trying to do what's best for you."

"THE HELL YOU ARE!" Chase roared, losing his temper and firing a stream of fire straight at Captain America, who deflected it using his shield.

"Are you crazy?!" Victor cried. "That's Captain America!"

"Have you been paying _any _attention in the past five minutes?" Gert asked him. "Captain America put us in a ring of hell that makes the Technarchy's invasion of Bayville look like Disneyland."

"What?" Victor asked.

"Foster care," Gert replied.

"Your foster homes can't have been _that_ bad, Ms. Yorkes," Captain America said.

"Drop the 'Ms. Yorkes', old timer," Gert said as Old Lace growled. "I'm no senior citizen, and not one of us is as helpless as you think we are."

Unknown to the Runaways, the Vision phased through the bleachers where Jorge and Victor were sitting, and grabbed onto him, attempting to take him to safety. This plan was cut short, however, when electricity began erupting from all sides of Victor's body the second Vision touched him. Both Victor and Vision began emitting a high-pitched squeal as both teams attempted to block the electrical onslaught.

"What's going on?!" Captain America cried as he deflected the bolts with his shield.

"How should we know?!" Derrick shouted as he absorbed the bolts directed at the Runaways. "Vision's _your_ robot!"

"Morbius, separate Vision and Victor!" Captain America ordered.

"Very well," Morbius sighed, flying towards the electrified pair and pulling the Vision away from Victor. "Vision, what on Earth happened?"

"I…I do not know," Vision stuttered.

"Holy crap, again!" Jorge cried. "Did you see that, Vic?!"

Victor gave no response. He only stared at his hands.

"Wh-what am I?" he asked.

"Told you so!" Molly chanted.

"Y-you guys…might be right," Victor said. "If I…have powers like this…maybe I will grow up to be evil."

"Don't think like that, son," Captain America told him before turning back to the Runaways. "You kids need to stop this. Please, just come quietly and—"

"Never," growled Xavin. "I will not let you imprison them as you did before."

"You're that Skrull the Fantastic Four mentioned, aren't you?" Captain America asked. "Why are you helping them?"

"Karolina is my betrothed," Xavin explained. "I stay by her side no matter what happens or what foolish enemy she comes across."

"What?" Captain America cried. "She's too young to be married!"

"Not on the Skrull world," Derrick said, electricity sparkling through his hands. "Now go away."

"Well…I'm sorry, but you've given us no choice," Captain America said. "AVENGERS ASSEMBLE!"

The Avengers suddenly scattered, charging at the Runaways.

"About time," Chase smirked, Fistigons blazing.

Derrick fired bolts of electricity at Iron Man, who simply dodged them by flying through the air. The armored Avenger fired a laser from his palm at Derrick, who avoided the attack by an unusual method. Derrick shoved his own palms to the ground and fired lightning from each one, launching himself up and into Iron Man.

"This might hurt," Derrick said, discharging electricity into Iron Man. The attack overloaded Iron Man's armor, causing the two to fall to the earth in a heap.

"Why are you…helping them?" Iron Man asked weakly. "You helped me and Giant Man take down Ultron some months ago."

"Maybe, but that's only because I was there," Derrick said. "And here's a little bit of reality for you: I don't listen to hypocrites like your wing-headed boss. End of story."

At another part of the field, She-Hulk and Molly stared each other down.

"You're the strongest of the Pride's kids?" she asked, as if the concept were entirely ridiculous. "Were the guys who wrote the files on you drunk or something?"

"Nope," Molly said, swinging her fist into She-Hulk's stomach.

Nearby, Karolina, Xavin, Gert, and Old Lace were faced with Morbius the living vampire.

"I remember you," Morbius said, looking at Karolina. "You are that girl whose very skin burns with sunlight."

"And you're a fake vampire," Gert said.

"I am a _living _vampire! _Living_!" Morbius cried. "What is your problem?!"

"Try the fact that Captain Inconsiderate thought it was a good idea to put us in separate foster homes," Gert said, "even though we 'Pride kids' can only rely on each other."

Karolina then promptly blasted Morbius with a beam of sunlight, and the screaming She-Hulk being flung into him (courtesy of Molly)added insult to injury. Not all the Avengers, however, were focused on taking down the Runaways.

"Ooh, nice throw," Hawkeye commented, sitting next to Victor as he watched the fight.

"Uh, sir, aren't you supposed to be helping your teammates?" Victor asked.

"Don't call me 'sir', kid," Hawkeye said. "As for your question, Cap and I have a lot of differences. Our views on the Runaways are just one of those differences."

"Back off, Mrs. Roboto!" Chase cried, attempting to hit Vision with his Fistigons.

Vision, contrary to the other fighters, made no response. Instead, she simply phased through Chase, becoming tangible long enough to kick him in the head. Vision, however, did not notice Derrick grabbing onto her foot until he began to drain power from her, which is when she became intangible again and phased out of his grip.

While the male Runaways were dealing with the Vision, Nico and Captain America faced off.

"You were safe in Father Flanagan's, Ms. Minoru," Captain America said. "Why did you run away?"

"Got a few hours?" Nico said before pointing her staff at the Captain. "Oh, and by the way…**stop hitting yourself!**"

"What?" Captain America said before he found his arm—and attached shield—repeatedly slamming into his face. "Ow! What's happening? Ah! Make it stop! Ouch! Hawkeye, I could use some help here!"

"Guys, grab Victor and let's go!" Nico cried.

"I cannot let you—" Vision began.

"Shut up," Derrick said, blasting Vision with a lightning bolt.

"Look, I'm all for knowing what the heck's going on," Victor said, "but why should I go with you?"

"You'd rather take your chances with them?" Derrick said, jabbing one thumb to the Avengers.

Victor looked, and saw a partially-burnt Morbius, an unconscious She-Hulk, a groaning Iron Man, a damaged Vision, and Hawkeye trying to get Nico's spell on Captain America to wear off.

"Know what?" Victor said. "You've got a point."

"Ow, my aching head," Captain America groaned as Hawkeye pulled on his arm, attempting to keep it from hitting him again. He then saw the Runaways leading Victor into the Leapfrog. "Wait!"

"What?" Hawkeye said, accidentally letting go of the arm and allowing it to deliver a knockout blow to Captain America. "Oops."


	19. Who's Your Daddy!

**DISCLAIMER: I own Derrick Bolris and Ri'ann Parrn. The Misfitverse this story takes place in belongs to Red Witch, the characters of G.I. Joe belong to Hasbro, and everything else belongs to Marvel.**

Chapter 19: Who's Your Daddy?!

"Let me make sure I understand what you're saying," Victor began as the Leapfrog leapt through the skies of Los Angeles. "The Pride was a supervillain group composed of your parents, right?"

"Most of us," Derrick said. "My parents were just your run-of-the-mill military scientists."

"And my own family was Skrull royalty," Xavin, in her Skrull form, added.

"Her parents were dark wizards, right?" Victor said, pointing to Nico. "And she got her staff when her mother stabbed it into her chest?"

"Pretty much," Nico said.

"Yours were time-traveling criminals who stole stuff from certain time periods and sold it off for money?" Victor asked Gert. "And you have a telepathic and empathic link to a genetically-engineered dinosaur from the 87th Century?"

"Basically," nodded Gert. "I didn't even think raptors made good pets until I found Old Lace."

"She's not a raptor, actually," Victor said. "If she was, she'd have a hook-looking claw on her foot. She looks more like a Deinonychus with a pedicure."

"And you know that because…?" Derrick said.

"I actually went to a science museum for once in my life," Victor said simply.

"Show-off," Derrick muttered.

"Anyway, his parents were a couple of mad scientists who got rich patenting a device that removes the labels from CDs, right?" Victor said, looking at Chase, who was piloting the Leapfrog. "And he stole those fire-gloves from their workshop, which is also where Nico got her staff?"

"You got it," Chase called back.

"Moving on, your parents were aliens, right?" Victor asked Karolina, who nodded. He then turned to Molly. "And yours were telepathic mutants with the same ideals as Magneto, but posed as a surgeon and a speech therapist?"

"Yep!" Molly said. "And I have super-strength!"

"Talk about irony," Victor said. "What about the other two, though?"

"I'm a mutant, like Molly," Derrick explained, "except that I can absorb and manipulate electricity. I accidentally killed my parents when the little racists tried to dissect me. Been afraid of fatally electrocuting someone ever since."

"I am a Super-Skrull-in-training from Tarnax VII," Xavin said.

"Like that one the Fantastic Four go against?" Victor asked.

"Yes," Xavin nodded. "I have all the same powers he has."

"So what does this have to do with me?" Victor asked. "How exactly can I grow up to wipe out all the superheroes when I can't even control my own crazy powers?"

"Trust me," Derrick said, holding up one sparkling hand, "I've seen crazier."

"Future Gert said that your dad was the biggest bad guy ever, and that he made you into an even bigger bad guy," Molly said.

"That's impossible," Victor shook his head. "My dad died fighting for his country."

"Who are you, Mutt Williams?" Derrick snorted. "He didn't exactly think that Indy was his real father, now did he?"

"That was different!" Victor insisted, electricity sparking from his mouth and hands. "Wait, _you've_ seen 'Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull'?"

"Is it so wrong for a mutant to go to a movie theater every now and then?" Derrick sighed.

"Actually, no," Victor shrugged. "I'm not some insane bigot like Graydon Creed or Reverand Stryker."

"We can only hope," Derrick said.

"What about your mom, Victor?" Karolina asked.

"Well, she's an architect's assistant by day," Victor began. "By night she's a student, and later in said night she's a waitress."

"And you're sure she hasn't lied to you about anything?" Nico asked, skepticism in her voice.

"Look, just because _your _parents were evil doesn't mean my mom is!" Victor objected, sparks flying from his mouth again.

"Got anything to prove that?" Gert said.

"Maybe not," Victor admitted, "but you don't have anything to prove me wrong, either."

The Latino boy sighed.

"Look," he began, "even if my mom did lie to me—which I doubt—who would that make my dad?"

"Maybe Magneto?" Molly suggested.

"I'll need to find out what I can really do before we can jump to any conclusions," Victor said, "but he is a likely candidate."

"We can look through our parents' files back in our lair," Nico said.

"Speaking of which," Chase said, "everyone get ready. We're coming up on the La Brea Tar Pits right now."

"Wait, you guys live in the La Brea museum?" Victor asked.

"No, we live _under _it," Derrick corrected. "Get some sense, will you?"

****

Later, the Runaways and Victor gathered around inside a room with a holographic generator in the middle. Nico stood atop the stage, fiddling with a remote.

"Okay, can someone help me with this thing?" Nico asked. "I think this was made for Chase's parents."

"Here, let me try," Victor said, taking the remote and clicking a button, activating the generator.

"I repeat; show-off," Derrick muttered.

"Thanks," Nico smiled, much to Derrick's displeasure. "Okay, let's see…Future Gert said that your dad was the 'greatest evil in the universe', so we need to look at the A-listers."

"Well, like Molly said, my dad could be Magneto," Victor said, clicking a button and activating an image of a man in red armor and a purple cape. "He is one of the strongest villains ever known."

"Nah, Magnet-Head's all about mutants being better than everyone else," Chase shook his head. "He wouldn't exactly gel with an ordinary human like your mom."

"Point taken," Victor nodded. "The same applies to guys like Apocalypse, so he's out, too."

Victor thought for a moment, tapping the remote against his chin, before flipping on an image of a man in a green-and-yellow costume styled with electric bolts.

"Maybe it's Electro?" he suggested. "He's not a mutant, but he's got electric powers, and so do I."

"Electro's not even close to the level Magneto is," Derrick said.

"Maybe now," Nico said, "but in the future, who knows?"

"Wait a minute, I've got one!" Victor cried, activating an image of a man dressed in a black-and-purple costume with a white spider emblem painted across his face. "The Black Tarantula!"

"The who?" Molly asked.

"He's a mob boss," Nico explained.

"Not just some average mob boss," Victor said. "This guy makes the Kingpin look like a common thug!"

"I still say the guy looks like more like the Kingpin of Crisco than the Kingpin of Crime," Chase smirked.

"No one really knows much about Black Tarantula," Victor explained, "but it's said that he's both really nasty and immortal. The guy's been around for at least _seven hundred years_! He mostly hires mercenaries to do his dirty work, but I hear he's no slouch in combat himself."

"He mostly operates in Brazil," Nico added, "but it's rumored he's making a move on the states."

"Why are we only considering villains from this planet?" Xavin asked. "Gertrude's future self did say that Victor's father was the greatest evil in the universe."

"Yeah, you're right," Victor nodded. "Let's look up Galactus."

An image of a man dressed in a dominantly purple costume appeared, holding the Earth itself in his hand.

"By the way," Victor said, "he's literally holding the planet in his hand in that picture."

"Uh, if that's true," Derrick said, "I don't think I want to think about how you were born."

Victor paused for a moment.

"Good point," Victor said.

A vibrating suddenly appeared in Victor's back pocket.

"Sorry, that's my cell," he said, pulling it out and opening it. "Hello?"

"Hello, Victor," said the voice on the other line.

"Who is this?" Victor asked.

"I…am your father," the voice responded.

"Is that Darth Vader?" Molly asked.

"Wait, you're my father?" Victor asked the man on the other end.

"Of course," said the man claiming to be Victor's father. "Now, if you wish to know the truth of your heritage and rescue your mother…"

"WHAT?!" Victor cried. "You've got my mom?!"

"Yes," replied his supposed father. "Now, meet me in the abandoned McArthur Warehouse by sundown. Oh, and come alone. Do not even think of bringing the children of the Pride along."

The father hung up, and Victor looked to the Runaways.

"Guys?" he said. "I think I need your help."


	20. He's Your Daddy!

**Wow...20 chapters. Still no comparison to some of Red Witch's stories, though!**

**DISCLAIMER: I own Derrick Bolris and Ri'ann Parrn. The Misfitverse this story takes place in belongs to Red Witch, the characters of G.I. Joe belong to Hasbro, and everything else belongs to Marvel.**

Chapter 20: He's Your Daddy!

Victor approached the warehouse's center. He looked around, and then called out.

"Hello?" he said.

"Victor," a voice said from the shadows. "I trust you were not followed?"

"I wasn't," Victor said. "Took out the Runaways no sweat."

"Excellent," said the voice. "Then, as promised, you shall know the truth about your heritage. But, first…"

A red beam of energy erupted from the shadows, and a scream was heard. Victor gasped, catching a brief glimpse of his mother being slain before his eyes.

"You didn't say you would kill her!" Victor objected.

"Correct," replied his mysterious father, "but I also neglected to mention that I would _not _terminate her when her usefulness had ended."

"In that case," Victor smirked. "Deal's off."

He looked up.

"Now!" Victor cried.

The Leapfrog burst through the ceiling, landing behind Victor. Green beams of energy burst from the Leapfrog's cannons, firing into the shadows and apparently striking down Victor's father.

"Did you guys know the Leapfrog had lasers?!" Chase cried excitedly. "It's got freaking _lasers_!"

"A futile effort," the voice said from the shadows.

"You're still alive?!" Victor cried.

"The Avengers could not truly destroy me, no matter how many times they tried," the father said, as he stepped out from his shadowy hiding spot. "Why should you?"

The figure, Victor's father, was the robotic Ultron.

"Ultron!" Victor cried. "Wait, how are _you _my father? You're not even flesh and blood!"

"True," Ultron said. "You shall see your origin soon enough."

Ultron's eyes and mouth began to burn a brighter red, and Victor's eyes turned red as well.

"Now," Ultron said. "Execute your programming twenty years early. Kill the Runaways."

Victor turned, electricity sparkling from his hands.

"As you command, father," Victor said listlessly, surrounding the Leapfrog with his electricity and lifting it off the ground.

"I _know _you're not gonna trash the Leapfrog!" Chase cried, bounding out of the Leapfrog (which Victor then launched through the wall) and firing a blast of fire at Victor, who simply blocked the attack by using his electromagnetic powers to pull a pipe from the ground.

"Go after Ultron!" Nico ordered as the remaining Runaways left the Leapfrog. "He's the one controlling Victor!"

"Your tactical analysis is 40% more accurate than that of an ordinary human," Ultron admitted. "But it will not save you. Victor, my son, prove your worth to me."

Victor immediately ran for Chase, much faster than a normal human could, and grabbed his arm. He then yanked on Chase's arm, throwing him into Gert and Old Lace. Derrick absorbed some of Victor's electricity, forming a circular disk with it. He then threw the disk at Ultron, who simply stood and took the attack in the chest, remaining entirely unfazed.

"My body is entirely compromised of adamantium," Ultron said. "You would know, mutant. After all, you were present during my birth."

"And I'm pretty sure you remember how I took you down!" Derrick cried, using his electricity to catapult himself at Ultron.

"I do," Ultron said, catching Derrick in mid-air and slamming him into the ground.

"Derrick!" Nico cried.

"We need to snap Victor out of it!" Karolina said.

"Agreed, but how?!" Xavin cried, dodging an electrical blast. "He and Ultron combined are too powerful, despite being robotic!"

"Excuse me?" Derrick groaned as he struggled to get up. "Was that a racist crack about robots?"

"It seemed to be," Ultron agreed, stepping one foot on Derrick and firing a blast of energy at Xavin, who crashed into Molly.

"Xavin!" Karolina cried, rushing to her betrothed.

"Snap out of it, Mancha!" Gert cried.

"You don't have to do this!" Nico added.

"I must obey my father, and honor my family," Victor said in the same listless voice.

"He killed your mom, you moron!" Gert cried.

"He…is," Victor stuttered, eyes widened by the revelation.

"Yes?" Ultron said.

"You…are…my," Victor slowly turned. "ENEMY!"

Victor blasted Ultron in the chest with more electrical energy, though as his could manipulate metal (unlike Derrick's electricity), Victor could do much more damage to Ultron's chest.

"Do not make this harder than it needs to be," Ultron warned as his nanobots repaired him. "I have already lost a daughter. I have no need to lose a son."

"I'm nothing like you," Victor said, "just like the Runaways are nothing like their own parents."

He paused for a moment, looking at them.

"Guess that makes me one of you, huh?" Victor asked the Runaways.

"You may have broken free of my control," Ultron said, preparing to fire another energy blast, this one significantly more powerful, "but I will fulfill my programming and terminate all life, thereby creating world peace!"

"You and our parents would have gotten along great," Nico growled, holding the Staff of One. "**Mirror, mirror!**"

A pair of mirrors suddenly appeared in front of Ultron, and as he fired, the beam reflected off the mirrors and through the ceiling.

"What were you hoping to accomplish with that, Minoru?" Ultron said. "I have access to the Avengers' files on you. You would not have reflected my blast through the ceiling without reason."

"Yeah, you _definitely _haven't been in LA long," Nico said. "Whenever people here want to grab attention, they put on a light show. I'd look up if I were you."

Ultron did, and saw something he recognized immediately.

"Ah, so this is what you wanted," Ultron said.

"AVENGERS, ASSEMBLE!" Captain America yelled as the Avengers dropped through the ceiling.


	21. A Real Battle Royale

**DISCLAIMER: I own Derrick Bolris and Ri'ann Parrn. The Misfitverse this story takes place in belongs to Red Witch, the characters of G.I. Joe belong to Hasbro, and everything else belongs to Marvel.**

Chapter 21: A Real Battle Royale

"So, this is what you've been doing these past two months, Ultron!" Captain America declared. "Corrupting innocent kids like Victor is low, even for you!"

"I do whatever is necessary to complete my programming," Ultron droned. "Having my android son, Victor, remove you is but an objective on my path to my goal."

"Thor, we might have brought you and Warbird in as back-up to take down the Runaways," Captain America said, "but it looks like we'll need you to take on Ultron instead! Hawkeye, get the kids out of here and into the Quinjet! The rest of us will take down this mechanical maniac!"

"Okay, kids," Hawkeye said, leading the Runaways out of the warehouse, "let's get out while the getting's good."

"For once I'm in agreement with an Avenger," Nico said. "Ultron's way out of our weight class."

"For a robot," Xavin added.

"Okay, here's a little time I've been wanting," Hawkeye said. "How about we talk?"

"Let me back in there!" Victor cried. "Ultron killed my mother!"

"He did?" Hawkeye asked. "Even so, you'll probably get _yourself_ killed by running in there. I'm positive you guys are qualified to take on guys like Ultron, but the Avengers have fought him for longer. We know how he operates, you don't."

"So…how come you're not taking us into your jet-thingy?" Molly asked.

"Well, like I told Victor back at the football field," Hawkeye began, "I don't share Cap's view on you guys. Just because you're kids doesn't mean you can't defend yourselves or your city."

"What makes you so sure we can actually trust you?" Nico asked.

"I suppose you can't," Hawkeye said, "and that's something Cap doesn't understand. He doesn't understand that the decisions he makes aren't always the right ones. Every decision, no matter who makes it, has a chance of blowing up in their face, and you Runaways are the biggest example of that. You don't belong in foster homes, you belong in…uh…wherever it is you live now."

"You honestly think that?" Karolina asked.

"I sure do," Hawkeye nodded. "And that's why I'm letting you go. All of you."

"Seriously?" Gert asked, raising an eyebrow.

"And here my mom always said you were just a hood," Victor smiled.

"Well, I did have trouble with the law once," Hawkeye admitted, "but that's behind me now. Speaking of which, I'm going to have to go back in to give the other Avengers a hand."

Hawkeye approached the warehouse, but before he entered, he turned back to the Runaways.

"I like you kids," Hawkeye smirked. "Keep on running, Runaways."

And Hawkeye went inside.

"Did an Avenger just tell us to not give up fighting supervillains?" Derrick asked.

"I think so, Der," Gert nodded. "Yeah, I don't believe it, either."

"So, uh…where should I go?" Victor asked.

"You can sit in the back," Nico said, "just don't start trying to electrocute us again."

"Yeah, sorry about that," Victor laughed embarrassedly. "Ultron had me under his control. On the plus side, I learned the truth about what I am, much as I didn't like most of it."

"Cool, what it is?!" Molly asked excitedly.

"Can I tell you guys on the way back to your place?" Victor asked.

"You sure we can bring him with us?" Chase asked Nico. "What if Ultron plugged some 'kill-all-heroes' program in him that'll turn on later?"

"Then I want to do as much good as I can before that happens," Victor vowed.

"Good idea," Nico said.

"Couldn't hurt to have him on the team, I guess," Derrick shrugged. "If the Misfits can do Pyro and Firestar, Vic and I can probably work something out."

"Looks like you're on the team, Victor," Karolina smiled.

"Awesome!" Victor cried. "I always wanted to be a superhero! So, you guys have some kind of rallying cry or something?"

"We have 'try not to die'," Nico said as she, the other Runaways, and Victor entered the Leapfrog. "It's close enough."

****

While Hawkeye had been talking with the Runaways, the Avengers and Ultron had been deep in the heat of battle. Thor fired lightning from his hammer that Ultron managed to dodge, the sinister robot countering by blasting a flying blonde woman in the stomach with an energy beam.

"It happens every time!" yelled Carol Danvers, also known as Warbird. "Every time super-powered kids show up, I get hurt!"

"Quit complaining, Warbird," Iron Man said. "Cap, can you and the others keep Ultron distracted for a little longer?"

"Will do," Captain America nodded, charging at Ultron with his shield in front.

Before Captain America could strike Ultron, however, the robot grabbed his arm and stopped him cold. Ultron then kneed Captain America in the stomach and threw him into Morbius, blasting an approaching She-Hulk with another energy beam. Iron Man suddenly shot a small missile into Ultron's side, which the robot noticed rather quickly.

"What good will that do?" Ultron asked.

"It'll let me do _this_!" Iron Man cried, firing a larger missile that destroyed Ultron's arm.

"You know I will be repaired, Iron Man," Ultron sneered, expecting his arm to fix itself, but instead finding his nanobots falling off of him in swarms. "What?!"

"You know that tiny missile I hit you with?" Iron Man said smugly. "It wasn't meant to damage you. Instead, I infected you with a virus made to use your own nanobots to eat up your body. I call it 'Technovore'. Like it?"

"NO!" Ultron roared, his nanobots swarming around and destroying his body. "This will not destroy me, Avengers! You will never be rid of me!"

"Don't think we don't know that," Captain America said. "And this time, we'll make sure your head doesn't end up in another junkyard."

As he said this, Ultron was once again reduced to nothing but a head.

"Good riddance," Warbird spat.

"Hawkeye, what happened?" Captain America asked the returning Hawkeye. "Where are the Runaways?"

"You want the truth, Steve?" Hawkeye said. "I let them go."

"What?!" Captain America cried, and though most of the other Avengers had similar reactions, Morbius seemed to not care. "Why?"

"Simple," Hawkeye began. "Fury's wrong about them, and so are you. They don't want to take over LA, like their parents did. They just want to make sure no one else takes their parents' place. Besides, because of what you did, they wouldn't trust you if their lives depended on it."

"That's no reason to just let them go!" Captain America cried.

"Actually, it is," Morbius interjected.

"Michael?" Captain America said. "You're siding with Hawkeye?"

"In a sense, I am," Morbius said. "I do, however, have one statement I wish to make."

He looked to the Avengers, and then spoke.

"I quit," he said.

"Michael, you can't—" Captain America began, but Morbius interrupted.

"Be quiet, Captain America," Morbius growled. "I am not leaving the team out of a desire to resume feeding on people. I am leaving because my place is not among the Avengers, but on the streets, drinking enough blood from criminals to send them into unconsciousness."

"Why would you think that?" Captain America asked.

"Your twisted opinions, Captain, are what have convinced me," Morbius said.

"My what?" Captain America said, confused. "What are you talking about?"

"The Runaways," Morbius said. "I had originally thought you were a sickeningly _perfect _hero. But, after hearing the tale of the Runaways, I was proven wrong. You are just as flawed as everyone else, and your biggest flaw is refusing to admit your mistakes."

"Mistakes?" Captain America said. "Michael, putting the Pride's kids in foster care—"

"—was quite possibly the biggest mistake of your life!" Morbius snapped. "You repeatedly refuse to admit it, as you are blinded by your oversized ego and your intolerance for teenage heroes, even if they simply wish to do the right thing!"

Morbius snarled at a stunned Captain America before continuing.

"I must admit, Captain, that you have taught me much," Morbius said. "While I have been brooding about my…condition…for many months, you have taught me that I must use my power to help those that I could not help with my research. You taught me that innocent lives truly are important, and that each one means much. For that, I thank you. But I do not fit in amongst the Avengers. I do not share your warped version of helping teenage heroes, and that is where we separate."

"Where would you go?" She-Hulk asked.

"Perhaps Malibu, California," Morbius shrugged. "I hear that, despite the sunlight, it is a lovely city. It is also close to here, Los Angeles, where I hope to learn more of _true _heroics from the Runaways."

Before Captain America could object, Morbius flew through the hole in the roof.

"Farewell, Avengers," Morbius said, leaving the team forever.

"Michael, wait!" Captain America cried, but Iron Man put a hand on his shoulder.

"Cap, Morbius needs some solo time," he said. "It might do him more good than we ever could."

"I suppose you're right," Captain America sighed. He looked, and saw the Vision as depressed as a robot could possibly be. "Vision? Are you all right?"

"I do not know," Vision replied. "Steve Rogers…I believe I know what it means to feel alone."

"What are you talking about?" Iron Man asked.

"Yeah, you've got the rest of us!" Warbird added. "How could you possibly feel lonely?"

"You all have families," Vision replied. "You can commune with them. I cannot."

"I think I understand, Vision," Captain America said. "Your father is Ultron, and the only good relative you have is your new half-brother Victor."

"And we've seen what happens when you try to hang out with Victor," She-Hulk groaned. "Shock city."

"Let's go back to the HQ," Captain America suggested. "This mission's left most of us feeling a little down."

"Not me," Hawkeye smirked.

"We'll talk later," Captain America glared.

****

Several hours after the Avengers left the warehouse, something strange was happening.

The nanobots Ultron had originally used to repair himself began to move, swarming collectively through a small space underneath the door. The nanobots swarmed a nearby brown car, just as its owner came to it.

"Hey!" cried the car owner as the nanobots began to disassemble his car. "What the heck's going on?!"

The nanobots then began to reform the car. First, a pair of dinosaur-like legs took shape, followed by a skeletal body with arms to match. Finally, a reptilian head appeared, and a monstrous creature was formed.

"Th-this is why I left New York!" the owner cried as he attempted to run, but the creature grabbed hold of his leg and lifted him off of the ground, inspecting him.

And then the monster spoke.

"Analyzing," rasped the monster in a metallic voice. "Biological. Irrelevant."

The monster threw the man over its shoulder, before turning its head about the area.

"Must seek technology," the monster droned. "Must consume. Technovore's programming must be fulfilled."

****

**Little story behind the involvement of Technovore. Yes, I watch "Iron Man: Armored Adventures", and I like it. I'd actually first heard about Technovore from that show, so I figured he was made by the creators of the show. I did some searching, though, and it turns out Technovore was in the Iron Man comics, too. Couldn't really find any info on the Technovore from the comics, so I used the one from the show. Just in case anyone who actually read the comics was wondering.**


	22. Cobra Strike

**Remember that little plotline back in BFTD? The one where Deadpool was hired by Cobra? I'm finally going to conclude it in the next couple of chapters!**

**DISCLAIMER: I own Derrick Bolris and Ri'ann Parrn. The Misfitverse this story takes place in belongs to Red Witch, and so does Trinity. The characters of G.I. Joe belong to Hasbro, and everything else belongs to Hasbro.**

Chapter 22: Cobra Strike

One month after the Runaways' battle with Ultron, at the Xavier Institute for Gifted Youngsters in Bayville, New York, a girl with dark brown hair was sitting at a computer, clicking her mouse every now and then. As she continued to look through her e-mail, she paused to sniff the air. Growling, she turned her head and shot a glare into the shadows. When she did so, a young boy with lighter brown hair fell out.

"Uh, hi?" whimpered Jamie Madrox, the young X-Man named Multiple. "What are you doing, Rina?"

"Sorting through my e-mail," replied Rina Logan, the former Hydra project named X-23.

"Really?" Jamie asked. "You get e-mail?"

"For the past few months, now," Rina responded. "I have a friend in Los Angeles."

She looked at one e-mail, and a small smile spread across her face.

"Here he is," Rina said.

"Can I—" Jamie began, but a screaming voice interrupted.

"JAMIE!" a girl's voice cried, and the boy in question instantly paled.

"WE'RE BAAAAA-AAAACK!" cried another girl's voice.

"KISSY TIME!" cried a third girl's voice.

"Oh, man, it's Trinity!" he cried. "Gotta hide!"

Jamie ran off to hide from the trio of Misfits collectively called Trinity, while Rina simply clicked on the e-mail she wanted to read. Once it opened, she began to silently read it. Smiling slightly, she began to type a reply to the e-mail, fingers dancing across the keyboard. After several paragraphs worth of typing, however, a noise caught her attention.

"Logan!" cried the voice of Deadpool. "How you doing, buddy?"

"I'd be a lot better if you and your Cobra pals left, Deadpool!" snarled back Logan. "I knew you had low standards, but this is ridiculous!"

Rina hurriedly typed up a miniature message within her own reply, before clicking the "send" button. She had accomplished this not a minute too soon, for immediately afterward she was knocked out by Deadpool.

"This is your clone, Logan?" Deadpool asked the unconscious form of Wolverine. "Weird, she doesn't look anything like you. And she isn't wearing Stormtroooper armor, because we all know that clones wear Stormtrooper armor, especially the sci-fi geeks who stood in line at midnight to see Episode Three!"

****

In Los Angeles, Derrick clicked through his own e-mail, with Victor and Molly next to him.

"Vic, is there a reason you're looking over my shoulder?" Derrick asked.

"Nico wanted you and Molly to keep an eye on me in case some latent Ultron program kicks in," Victor answered. "You can absorb my electricity and Molly's the only one strong enough to take me down if I go rogue."

"Besides that," Derrick said.

"Uh, I wanted to see if you really knew X-23," Victor said. "You know, Wolverine's clone?"

"Wolverine stinks!" Molly shouted.

"I don't believe it!" Victor gasped, looking at the sender of Derrick's latest e-mail. "You actually get e-mail from X-23?! X-twenty-freaking-three?!"

"Actually, turns out she's been named Rina," Derrick said. "But, yeah. I met her back in New York, and 'met' Morbius right after that."

Derrick clicked the e-mail, and began to read it. Molly and Victor peered over his shoulders to read as well, much to his annoyance.

_Dear Derrick,_

_If I didn't know the Misfits—and the occasional chaos that happens over here at the Institute—then I would say you've had some insane events happen to you and your friends in LA. Seeing as I know better, however, I'm going to say that you've actually had some comparatively tame days._

_I've actually been all right lately. Things are unusually quiet here at the Institute. By now we'd have fought off some alien invasion or something. After the disbandment, the Misfits don't come over and try to prank us as often anymore, though Trinity is still stalking Multiple. Speaking of which, Multiple just ran off. He heard Trinity calling for him._

_Don't ask. Just don't._

_If you can, get to Bayville ASAP! Cobra just showed up and they've got someone named Deadpool with them, along with something that actually took out everyone here! Got to go!_

"Wait, Deadpool?" Victor asked. "As in, 'the Merc with a Mouth', Deadpool? The craziest mercenary ever? _That _Deadpool?"

"I take it you've heard of him?" Derrick asked.

"A little," Victor said. "He doesn't really show up much. But, if he's working for Cobra and attacking the Xavier Institute, we need to find a way to get to Bayville!"

"Oh, no need," a voice said. "You'll be reunited with your mutant friend soon enough."

Victor, Molly, and Derrick sprang up, and saw a man with a metallic head standing beside a group of Cobra troopers. Some of the troopers were holding the unconscious forms of Chase, Nico, Karolina, Gert, and Xavin, with Old Lace's jaws and claws held together by chains.

"Who's he, Doctor Doom?" Molly asked.

"No, but he is my distant cousin," replied the metallic-headed man.

"Wait, Destro from Cobra and Doctor Doom are cousins?" Victor said. "Wow, talk about your family resemblance."

"Ah, you must be Victor Mancha," the Cobra operative named Destro said. "I had been hoping to find you along with your new little street urchin friends."

With a smirk, Destro snapped his fingers.

"We have been planning many weeks for this, ever since your electric mutant friend there left New York," Destro said as some troopers brought a large cannon-like device forward.

"Wait, you've only been planning for a few weeks?" Victor asked. "If you've been planning since Derrick was picked up by the other Runaways, why'd you make your move just now?"

"We wanted to move sooner," Destro groaned, "but Deadpool kept making us stop for ice cream or some infernal snack food every time we tried to capture a target. We figured it would be significantly more productive if we went across the country to capture many super-powered targets simultaneously…with devices like this one."

Several Cobra troops brought forward a cannon-like device, aimed at the three remaining Runaways.

"Fire!" Destro ordered, and the cannon released a wave of pink energy that washed over the Runaways. Surprisingly, the remaining Runaways seemed to be completely unharmed.

"What was the point of that?" Derrick asked. "Vic, can you lend me some power?"

"Sure thing," Victor said, pointing his hand at Derrick, but nothing happened. "What?! Why can't I…?!"

"Simple," Destro smirked. "The cannon we used neutralized your powers for the next few hours…"

The Cobra troops surrounded Derrick, Victor, and Molly.

"…and a few hours is all we need," Destro finished. "Take them to the truck. When Deadpool meets up with us at the rendezvous point, I'll need to talk to him about the pink color of the cannon's blast."

****

A dark blue truck marked with the insignia of a red cobra sped down the streets of Los Angeles. Inside, the Runaways slowly stirred into consciousness. Across from them were Rina, along with another pair they knew. The pair consisted of a blonde girl in a white bodysuit and a dark-skinned male shrouded by a large cloak.

"Nice to see you guys again," said Dagger, "much as I wish that it was under better circumstances."

"I take it Cobra captured you with their weapon as well?" Cloak asked.

"Yeah, it sucked," Chase muttered. "Knocked out Old Lace and shorted out my Fistigons."

"_Espera un minuto_," Victor said in Spanish, "you guys know Cloak and Dagger?"

"Mostly," Xavin said, currently in her male Skrull form due to having no access to her shape-shifting power. "I have never met them."

"We haven't met you, either," Dagger said.

"Well, uh, my name's Victor Mancha," said Victor. "The Skrull here is Xavin. How do you guys know the others?"

"It was back before the Pride was taken down," Dagger began. "A cop who worked for the Pride contacted us, telling us that Molly was kidnapped by the rest of your friends."

"I had no intention of going there unless it was important," Cloak growled.

"Sorry about Cloak," Dagger smiled, "east coast-west coast rivalries. Anyway, we fought a little bit before Gert and Molly pointed out that the cop lied to us."

"Which was _after _Nico and I got sucked into Cloak's psycho dark-world," Chase snapped. "I'd _swear _I saw sharks in there! Sharks! In _space_!"

"Space sharks?" Molly asked.

"That reminds me," Dagger said. "What happened to Alex?"

Nico then looked rather solemn.

"Oh…sensitive subject?" Dagger asked.

"Alex betrayed us before trying to help his folks and Nico's wipe out all of humanity," Gert said bluntly.

"Oh…sorry," Dagger winced. "Guess you were close?"

"Do not press the subject any longer, Dagger," Cloak cautioned.

"Yeah, you're right," Dagger said. "Oh, sorry Rina, didn't mean to leave you out."

"That's fine," Rina shrugged, despite the metallic gloves on her hands and feet. "I'm usually not that much of a socialite, even this long after Hydra."

"Why are those gloves and boots there?" Karolina asked. "Aren't your powers shorted out?"

"My only _mutant _powers are heightened senses and an accelerated healing factor," Rina explained. "My claws aren't mutant-related. Without my healing factor, though, I'll end up dying from adamantium poisoning, and these restraints are made of adamantium. I can't shred them."

"What about the other X-Men?" Nico asked.

"Yeah, can't they do something?" Victor added.

"They were all captured, too," Rina shook her head. "Wolverine has the same restraints I do, and the team is pretty small these days."

"So, all we can do is hope for someone to give us a hand?" Nico said, narrowing her eyes. "Not sure that's likely."

"Oh, come on, Nico!" Dagger said. "I'm sure G.I. Joe or somebody will take notice and knock Cobra around."

"Or just come to grab some more soldiers for their Misfits," Derrick spat.

"I'm not sure who's going to come," Rina said, "but I do know this…despite public sentiment against mutants, the X-Men have plenty of allies. One of them is bound to notice that the entire population of the Institute has gone missing."

"You're from Bayville, a.k.a 'the town founded for mutant hate'," Derrick said. "It's not _that _likely."


	23. Breakout Time

**Behold...my longest chapter yet.**

**DISCLAIMER: I own Derrick Bolris and Ri'ann Parrn. The Misfitverse this takes place in belongs to Red Witch, the characters of G.I. Joe belong to Hasbro, and everything else belongs to Marvel.**

Chapter 23: Breakout Time

"In you go!" a Cobra soldier spat as he shoved Derrick and Nico into a cell and activated a force field.

"Since when is Cobra so well-prepared?" Nico asked.

"Our ally was very generous," Destro explained. "He supplied us everything we used to capture you, and even enough to keep you here in these power-dampening cells long enough for us to create a mutant army."

"Cobra's in a cash crisis, huh?" Derrick smirked.

Destro glared briefly at Derrick before leaving.

"So, what now?" Nico asked.

"I'm not sure we can do much except what Dagger suggested," Derrick shrugged, "much as I don't like it."

"Wait, hang on," Nico interjected. "Back at the Hostel, I got knocked out before I could bring out my staff. If I still have it, I might be able to spell us out of here."

"Please do," Derrick said, glancing out into the hallway.

"I take it you're not getting any pleasant memories from this?" Nico asked. "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault," Derrick sighed, "it's my parents'. Ever since that day I've been afraid of being stuck in a place like this again."

Nico put a comforting arm around him.

"I'm a little scared, too," Nico said, "especially if they try to do to someone like Molly what they did to you. But, we'll make it through this. We will."

She kissed him.

"Feel better?" Nico asked.

"Uh…a little," Derrick said.

"Great," Nico smiled, and began digging her fingernails into her palm. "Cobra took the switchblade I got from Chase, so this'll have to do. **When blood is shed, let the Staff of One emerge!**"

Nico caught the staff, and then aimed it at the force field door.

"**Shortage!**" she cried, and the force field, instead of shorting out, actually shrank. It became so small, in fact, that a person could hold it in their hand. "Well, not what I was intending…but it works, I guess."

"We need to free the others," Derrick said. "Destro's going to come back sometime. We need to be out of here before then."

"Point taken," Nico said. "Let's try and find a control room or something. Maybe there we can find a switch to turn off the cell doors."

"Think anyone will actually come?" Derrick said.

"Maybe," Nico said. "If the help is adults, we'll need to move twice as fast."

****

Several minutes earlier, atop the fortress-like base (likely another gift from Cobra's mysterious ally), a pair of Cobra troopers stood as sentries. Both held rifles in their hands, and both were extremely bored.

"Yo, Joe?" asked one trooper.

"I TOLD YOU NEVER TO SAY THAT!" roared the other, apparently named Joe. "Now you've gone and jinxed us!"

"Sorry," winced the first trooper. "Just wanted to ask what we were doing here."

"Ah, we're just standing guard…again," Joe answered. "Maybe if you didn't eat so much food, Jack, we wouldn't be out here!"

"Hey, I have a high metabolism!" Jack snapped back. "And what about that time you tried to hit on the Baroness, huh?!"

"Oh, God, don't remind me," groaned Joe. "Destro kicked me into next month one time for every comment I made...and I made a lot of comments."

"Might have had something to do with why we're out here!" Jack continued. "Or maybe that time you mistook Dr. Mindbender's secret formula for a bottle of soda!"

"Don't you look at me, Jack!" Joe snapped. "Need I remind you _who _got caught on duty with G.I. Joe underwear?! On the _outside _of his uniform?!"

"Says the guy who was watching _Grease _on Cobra Commander's private TV!" Joe retorted.

"That was one time!" Jack snapped. "I didn't hear you complaining when Sandy was on screen, you pervert!"

"_I'm _a pervert?!" cried Joe. "I might have hit on the Baroness, but at least I didn't try to sneak out for a trip to a strip club! How can you even _find _a strip club, anyway?! We're on a remote island!"

"That was only one time, too!" Jack retorted. "And another thing! How come you're updating your Facebook status on your cell phone when you're supposed to be guarding subjects?!"

"Well, it beats having to reset the locks when you somehow get yourself locked in the cells!" Joe snapped. "Which, may I add, are the same cells holding very angry and especially smelly experiments!"

Had the two not broken out into a fist-fight at that moment, they would have noticed a military helicopter approach the base.

****

Nico and Derrick dashed down the hallways, Nico clubbing the heads of any Cobra soldiers they came across.

"There has to be a control room around here somewhere!" Nico said, striking the latest trooper.

"Yeah, but the question is, where around here is the damn thing?" Derrick said.

"Let's ask someone," Nico said, grabbing a semi-conscious guard. "You have some place where you can shut off all the cell doors at once, right?"

"Y-yeah," groaned the trooper.

"Where is it?" Nico demanded.

"I'm not telling you," the trooper said, though his voice was weak.

"It's that room down the hall with the words 'control room' printed on the front, isn't it?" Derrick asked.

"How'd you know?!" the trooper cried.

"I have more than one brain cell," Derrick replied simply.

"We're done here," Nico said, "good night."

She knocked the trooper out with a blow from her staff, and the two approached the control room. At that moment, however, they were soon faced with another threat.

Deadpool.

"You stupid people!" Deadpool cried as he appeared out of nowhere via his teleportation device. "You're ruining the job! And I just got into Mindbender's lab, too!"

"Well, if you didn't sign up with Cobra, maybe you'd be better off," Nico said, aiming her staff at Deadpool.

"Hey, you know what? You're right!" Deadpool said. "Just because I blew up a building full of innocent people doesn't make me a villain! C'mon, let's go kick some Cobra tail! YO DEADPOOL!"

Deadpool took out his swords and charged wildly into the control room, leaving Derrick and Nico behind.

"Did that make any sense to you?" Derrick asked her.

"Nope," Nico shook her head.

"Me neither," Derrick said.

Many sounds could be heard from the control room.

"Deadpool, don't touch that!" Destro roared. "That's the release button! It will free all the prisoners!"

"Reverse psychology ahoy! Pushing button now!"

"NO!"

"Is this the 'serve pudding' button?"

"GET AWAY FROM THERE!"

"I…think we should go," Nico said.

"Agreed," Derrick said.

****

"Everybody out!" Logan yelled, leading the X-Men out of their respective cells.

"Wait, we can help!" Dagger interjected. "Cloak can teleport us all at once!"

"An excellent idea," nodded a blue-furred man with long hair, the X-Man named Hank McCoy. "We should, however, wait for Los Angeles' resident teen's guild before we leave."

"Someone mention us?" Chase smirked, with Karolina, Xavin, Victor, Gert, Old Lace and Molly alongside him. "The last two are on their way."

"OH MY GOD IT'S POCAHONTAS!" Molly cried, rushing up to a Cheyenne X-Woman.

"Uh," was all that Dani Moonstar could say.

"Are you still together with that British guy?" Molly asked. "Do you have kids? Are you a queen? Do you live in a teepee?"

"Uh, Molly?" Dagger said. "That's not Pocahontas."

"She isn't?" Molly asked.

"No, that's Moonstar from the X-Men," Victor shook his head. "I thought she left the X-Men, though."

"I did," Dani said. "I went to live with my grandfather, but I moved back into the Institute after he was killed by some anti-mutant lunatics."

"Oh," Molly said, sounding somewhat disappointed. She then looked at Wolverine and then spoke the loudest four words she would ever say.

****

"Any idea where the others are?" Derrick asked.

"Knowing Molly, if they're near the X-Men, we should be hearing from them anytime now," Nico said.

And then their signal came.

"_**WOLVERINE IS A JERK!**_" Molly's voice roared.

"There they are," Nico smiled. "Let's go."

The two soon found themselves reunited with their fellow Runaways, along with the various X-Men. Logan and Rina were still clutching their ears from Molly's outburst.

"Gang's all here!" said a blonde woman named Tabitha Smith, though more commonly known by the name of Boom-Boom.

"So you're the Runaways?" asked a black-haired Chinese girl. "I'm Jubilee. I was part of the team that went to LA."

"Much as I'd love to socialize," Dagger said, "we've got company."

An army of Cobra troopers was charging their way. Destro had already escaped, leaving his men to recapture their kidnapped "subjects".

"Better hold off the warp-out!" cried brown-haired Bobby Drake. "We can take these guys!"

"Agreed," Xavin nodded, in human female form as her shape-shifting had returned. She changed her arms into their Thing-like form, and prepared to fight.

"This is awesome!" cried a powering-up Victor. "A team-up with the X-Men!"

"Don't get used to it," Derrick snapped as he absorbed some of Victor's electricity. "It's not gonna happen all the time."

"I'm just glad our powers are back," Karolina said as she soared into the air.

"So am I," Rina agreed, releasing her claws. "I'm also glad that I don't have the adamantium restraints anymore."

"Let's roll!" Logan roared as both teams charged into the fray, Cloak and Dagger in tow.

Karolina and Bobby went in first, Karolina firing beams at several troopers as Bobby rode in on his ice bridge and froze several other troopers. Old Lace, Rina, and Logan tore through the troopers in a feral frenzy, the latter two slicing up guns as the former leapt upon a soldier or two. Xavin sent multiple troopers flying with a single punch before switching to Johnny Storm's power, unleashing a flame stream alongside one made by Chase to defeat several Cobra troopers that were approaching from another direction.

Dagger and Beast agilely bounded into the fray, feet in a flurry as they struck down various troopers. Victor and Derrick worked together to form electrical constructs such as circular saw blades and even a dragon-like head, all defeating rather large numbers of troopers. Those troopers that passed through the onslaught were immediately tripped by Gert before being exposed to their worst fear, courtesy of Dani.

Cobra's ally had apparently somehow donated massive numbers of soldiers, as the troopers were still coming. The X-Men and Runaways, however, were still fighting, alongside the duo of Cloak and Dagger. Tabitha threw several small orbs of energy into the guns of some troopers, causing the guns to explode in the soldiers' faces. Cloak swung his shroud bout, using it to strike down some soldiers as Jubilee released firework-like bursts from her hands.

"BATTLE HO!" Deadpool cried, appearing out of nowhere and swinging his swords around wildly.

In a few short minutes, all the troopers were unconscious.

"I shall allow us to take our leave," Cloak said, enveloping Dagger, all the X-Men and Runaways, allowing them to disappear. Deadpool disappeared as well, in another red flash of light.

****

Moments later, many different soldiers burst into the facility, headed by a man wearing a green ski mask.

"Okay, snakes!" barked Beach Head, a member of G.I. Joe. "Come out with your hands…up?"

By the time Beach Head and the rest of G.I. Joe had arrived, all the Cobra troopers were unconscious and Destro had escaped.

"Looks like we weren't the first," observed Roadblock, adopted father of the two Misfits named Blob and Toad. "Also seems these Cobras got the worst."

"The question is 'who'," said General Hawk, a man with a star on his hat indicating his status. "Scarlet, anything from Cobra's security footage?"

"Nope," said a red-haired woman as she shook her head. "The security cameras are all destroyed, so have the screens in the control room."

"Shame," Hawk said. "Would've liked to get some word from the X-Men now that Xavier's off waging a one-man political war against the Mutant Information Act."

"So, what do we do?" Beach Head asked. "Let it go down as a mystery?"

"Looks like it," Hawk sighed. "And, Beach Head?"

"What?" asked Beach Head before a shark that somehow had wings leapt out of the water and attacked him. "AAAH! HELP ME!"

"Be careful of Cobra experiments," Hawk sighed.

****

Back at Bayville, Cloak and the ones he was transporting emerged in a burst of shadow. At this point, the X-Men and Runaways were saying good-bye.

"Are you sure you can't stay here?" Hank asked. "You would all be welcome, even if you're not mutants."

"And leave LA to the mercy of New York's psychos?" Nico said. "Thanks, but no thanks."

"And Cloak and I would rather make sure no one else gets experimented on," Dagger said. "Nice to meet you guys, though."

"The pleasure is all mine," Hank smiled.

"Okay, guys, let's drop you off back at LA," Dagger said to the Runaways as Cloak enveloped both her and them.

****

Somewhere in the country, a man was speaking with another man who had pale white skin and hair.

"Cobra didn't make the cut, boss," said the white man.

"A pity indeed, Tombstone," said the first man. "I had hoped to use Cobra's resources to gain a share of their mutant soldiers. It seems, however, that I will need to take secondary measures. Rendezvous with Bloodscream, Roughouse, Songbird and Bullseye."

"What for?" asked the man called Tombstone.

"We will need to 'persuade' a certain Dr. Bruce Banner to help us," said the first man. "Once I have the power he possesses, the Black Tarantula shall rule over Los Angeles in the Pride's place. And when I do, I shall show the Pride's infidel children the meaning of _true _power."


	24. The Trouble with Technovore

**This chapter's a little short. Oh, well.**

**DISCLAIMER: I own Derrick Bolris. The Misfitverse this story takes place in belongs to Red Witch, the characters of G.I. Joe belong to Hasbro, and everything else belongs to Marvel.**

Chapter 24: The Trouble with Technovore

Two days had passed after the Runaways, X-Men, and the duo of Cloak and Dagger escaped from Cobra's base. For the most part, it was relatively quiet in Los Angeles. Supervillain appearances had somewhat dropped in frequency, albeit not by much. As the Runaways returned from their latest battle, none of them were aware that the Hostel was about to have another visitor. The cloaked Leapfrog once again sank into the tar, but this time it was observed by the skeletal monster known as Technovore.

"Analyzing," Technovore droned, gazing at the spot where the Leapfrog had entered. "Unknown technology detected. Programming directive: _consume_."

****

Roughly an hour later, the Runaways were scattered about in the Hostel. Xavin was training Karolina to form shields with her rainbow energy. Elsewhere, Chase was studying his Fistigons (after a small amount of encouragement from Gert). Victor and Molly were discussing their encounter with the X-Men, though while Victor mainly praised the team, Molly's remarks were primarily insults directed at Wolverine. Derrick and Nico, recently becoming a couple (more or less), simply played cards on the same table the team used for board games like Monopoly.

"Got any fours?" Derrick asked.

"Go fish," Nico replied, prompting her opponent to take a card from the deck.

Technovore chose that moment to drop through the ceiling with a loud crash, landing on the table and knocking both teenagers over.

"Technology detected," Technovore rasped. "Moving to acquire."

Technovore brushed past Nico, making a bee-line for one person.

Victor.

"What the hell is that thing?!" Chase roared.

"Identification: Technovore," Technovore said.

"Wait, I think that's its name," Victor said.

"Well, we know the 'who'," Gert said. "Now we need to know if it's actually anything other than some giant lizard skeleton."

"Error," Technovore said. "Not giant lizard skeleton. Virus. Designed to consume all technology."

"Virus?" Xavin repeated. "This monster is an earth-born virus?"

"If that's the case," Victor said, "then who made you?"

"Creator: Anthony 'Tony' Stark," Technovore replied.

"What?!" Victor cried. "This thing was made by Iron Man from the Avengers?!"

"Must consume all technology," Technovore droned, picking Victor up by the leg.

"Leave him alone!" Karolina cried, blasting Technovore's chest with a beam. Though this did cause the monstrous virus to drop Victor, it did surprisingly little damage.

"Did the iron guy send this thing after us?" Molly asked. "Because that would be really stinky."

"That's not possible!" Victor insisted. "Iron Man's an Avenger! He'd never try to—"

"Consume!" Technovore shrieked, sprouting from its chest many tentacles constructed from various junk. The monster latched onto Victor, attempting to absorb him, but instead was repulsed by a burst of electricity from Victor's hands.

"Back off!" Victor cried. "Who sent you?"

"It just told us who sent it, Vic," Gert said simply.

"But Iron Man would never—" Victor began, but Nico interrupted.

"Victor, you saw how badly Captain America wanted us back in foster care," Nico said. "He might be getting desperate."

"Actually, I agree with Victor," Derrick said as Chase held off Technovore with a wall of flame. "Hypocritical as Cap is, he wouldn't resort to killing to get what he wants."

"I guess you're right," Nico said.

Suddenly, Technovore charged through the flames and snatched Derrick by the throat. An enraged Nico quickly summoned the Staff of One and aimed it at Technovore.

"**Get away from him!**" Nico cried, and the spell made Technovore vanish, but taking Derrick with it. "Oops."

****

"Nico really needs to get a manual for that thing," Derrick mumbled as he and Technovore were left stranded in the middle of the road.

"Error," Technovore said, looking around. "Illogical. Location changed. Analys—"

"Oh, shut up," Derrick interrupted, using electricity from a car to fire lightning at Technovore, sending the creature into a wall.

"Excellent aim!" a Greek-accented voice encouraged, and the living vampire named Morbius descended on the scene.

"What do you want, Morbius?" Derrick snarled. "Don't you have your Avenger buddies to get back to?"

"I quit the team shortly after the incident with your friend Victor," Morbius replied. "Speaking of which, where are the other Runaways?"

"Probably on their way to deal with Iron Man's pet virus here," Derrick said, indicating the recovering Technovore.

"I need your friends' help," Morbius pleaded.

"With what?" Derrick snapped.

The sound of a motorcycle being gunned echoed, and Morbius pointed to what appeared to be a flaming skeleton in a biker's outfit riding a motorcycle with flaming wheels.

"With that!" Morbius cried.


	25. Enter the Spirit of Vengeance

**DISCLAIMER: I own Derrick Bolris. The Misfitverse this story takes place in belongs to Red Witch, the characters of G.I. Joe belong to Hasbro, and everything else belongs to Marvel.**

Chapter 25: Enter the Spirit of Vengeance

The flaming motorcycle rider literally blazed onto the scene, his bike's roar and flames catching the eyes of all. Derrick raised an eyebrow in confusion while Morbius recoiled. Technovore, however, stared at the machine.

"Analyzing," Technovore droned. "Error. Unknown technology bonded with unknown force. Illogical. Does not compute."

"You seek to shed innocent blood," said the motorcycle rider in an echoing, raspy voice. "You will not escape your penance."

The eye sockets of the rider's skull widened, seemingly penetrating through Technovore's very body. After several seconds, however, the eye sockets shrank back to their regular size.

"You have no soul, monster," the rider said, grabbing a chain that was wrapped around his torso.

"Error," Technovore droned. "Not monster. Virus."

"Then I will delete you from existence," the rider growled as he whipped his chain at Technovore, the metallic links instantly tearing through Technovore's metallic skeleton.

Shrieking and roaring, Technovore was torn into pieces by each of the rider's lashes. With each strike, Technovore's nanobots worked double-time to rebuild their monstrous body, but were immediately stopped by another whip. Finally, Technovore was a pile of scrap on the ground.

The rider turned away, facing Morbius and Derrick.

"The blood of innocents has been shed by you," the rider said.

"Bull," Derrick spat. "My parents died because they were too stupid to know that cutting open a living battery would make lightning fly everywhere. They were never innocent."

"Not you, for the deaths you caused were accidental in nature," the rider said, shaking his skull. "He is the one whose presence lingers with the blood of innocent lives."

He pointed to Morbius with one skeletal finger.

"Who are you, anyway?" Morbius asked.

"They call me the Ghost Rider," the rider answered. "I appear where innocent blood has been shed. And you, Michael Morbius…you have shed innocent blood."

"I am well aware," Morbius sighed. "I have moved beyond taking the blood of civilians, er…Ghost Rider."

"It will take more than the word of a living vampire to convince a spirit of vengeance," Ghost Rider sneered.

"How about that?" Derrick asked, pointing to a regenerating Technovore behind them.

"Can that creature be destroyed?" Morbius asked.

"Those who seek to shed innocent blood will fall before the spirit of vengeance," Ghost Rider declared, raising one skeletal hand. His Hellcycle came to him, and he rode straight for Technovore.

"Is he sane?" Derrick asked.

"I doubt it," Morbius groaned. "This Ghost Rider found me in Malibu some time after I left the Avengers. He somehow knows that I had fed upon the blood of civilians in New York."

"Might as well try and give Mr. Bones a hand," Derrick sighed, charging himself by draining electricity from a lamppost.

"Yes, we must!" Morbius agreed. "If we do not, more innocent people will be hurt!"

"Uh, on second thought," said Derrick, watching Ghost Rider and Technovore battle, "maybe we should sit this out."

"Why?" Morbius asked.

Derrick pointed, and Morbius looked. Ghost Rider had already driven through Technovore multiple times, and each time the beast reformed itself. This time, Ghost Rider slid to a stop, and aimed his hand at Technovore. From his hand burst a massive storm of fire that washed over Technovore. The monstrous virus screamed as its body melted into a pile of ooze, the Ghost Rider having fully defeated it.

"Oh," Morbius said.

Ghost Rider rode up beside Morbius.

"If you wish to atone for your misdeeds, do so," Ghost Rider said. "But be warned, for if you take blood from an innocent life, I will make you pay for it."

"I welcome it," Morbius said.

"My business in Los Angeles is done," Ghost Rider said. "I must continue my search for the guilty."

And with that, the Ghost Rider rode away.

"Well, that was weird," Derrick said.

"Agreed," said Morbius. "I must return to Los Angeles. Give you teammates my regards."

"Don't bet on it," Derrick muttered as Morbius flew away.

The Leapfrog soon came, and Nico came out first.

"Derrick, are you okay?" she asked. "What happened?"

"Long story," Derrick groaned. "Can we just go home?"

****

Some time after the Runaways had left, Iron Man, several other Avengers, and Nick Fury arrived to clean up what was left of Technovore.

"I can't believe Technovore went rogue," Iron Man said as he shook his head.

"Believe it, Stark," Fury snorted. "You program that thing to hunt down all tech, it'll hunt down all tech, including that owned by the good guys."

"But I designed it to burn itself out after taking out Ultron!" Iron Man insisted.

"Oh, quit whining, Tony," Warbird snapped. "This _is _your fault, so just clean up what's left of your latest psychopathic pet."

"Whoever did this did a damn good job," Fury said, noting the melted remnants of Technovore as several agents of S.H.I.E.L.D loaded it onto the parked Helicarrier.

"If the Runaways did that, we have more reason to bring them in," Captain America said, ignoring Hawkeye's eye roll.

"Cap, we have eyewitness reports," Fury corrected. "One of the Runaways might have been there along with Morbius, but people say that the one who turned Technovore into the third cousin of the Wicked Witch of the West was some kind of flaming skeleton biker."

"…is this town insane?" Iron Man asked.

"Tony, you see the kinds of things we deal with," Captain America said. "How hard can it be to believe in a flaming skeleton biker, far-fetched as it may seem?"

He turned to Fury.

"Anything on this biker?" he asked.

"Actually, yes," Fury said, holding out a folder that Captain America promptly looked through. Inside were pictures of Ghost Rider, along with a picture of a cocky-looking man. "Name's Johnny Blaze, goes by the alias of Ghost Rider. He made a deal with some demon named Mephisto to cure his dad's cancer. In exchange, Blaze was turned into a flaming skeleton biker that fits the eyewitnesses' descriptions."

"Think we could recruit him?" Captain America asked.

"You seriously want to after what happened with Morbius?" Fury asked. "I doubt Blaze would join up, anyway. He's pretty much obsessed with protecting the innocent, and I doubt he'd waste his time with supervillains unless they were serial killers of some kind."

"Maybe so," Captain America said as he handed Fury back the folder. "I just hope the Runaways don't believe us responsible for Technovore's attack."

"Well, if _someone _didn't throw them in foster care," said Hawkeye, "they might actually have a reason to believe we wouldn't."

"Come on, let's get back to New York," Fury said. "No telling when some nutjob supervillain will pop up and blow something up in this town."

Inside the Helicarrier, however, Technovore's remains began to stir slightly.

****

**DUN DUN DUN! **

**Actually, Technovore might not reappear in this story, but you _may _just see a reappearance from it someday...**


	26. Not Another Alternate Dimension!

**After our brief little bout with Technovore, we now move on to a story arc that's been one of the mainstays of the story. We also get the Misfitverse introduction of a former Runaway...yeah, people who have read the first eighteen issues should know who I'm talking about.**

**DISCLAIMER: I own Derrick Bolris. The Misfitverse this story takes place in belongs to Red Witch, the characters of G.I. Joe belong to Hasbro, and everything else belongs to Marvel.**

Chapter 26: Not Another Alternate Dimension!

The seventh month came after the Technovore incident. While supervillains still attempted to sieze control of Los Angeles, the Runaways were confronting another kind of foe.

"I'LL RIP YOU APART!" cried a man in a massive red-and-purple armored suit with a pair of cannons mounted on top. "YOUR PARENTS WILL PAY FOR WHAT THEY DID TO ME!"

"Who's he talking to?" Chase asked.

"YOU!" the man roared, pointing his finger at one person.

Molly.

"Your damn mutie parents cursed me!" the man snarled. "They messed with my head…they made it so that I couldn't move or blink…for _seven years_! The people at the hospital had to put these drops in my eyes so they wouldn't dry out! They _tortured _me for _seven years_, and they weren't even near me for most of that time!"

"Kind of small potatoes compared to what everyone else's parents put people through," Gert said simply.

"I'LL KILL ALL OF YOU!" the enemy of the Pride roared, only to find his shoulder-mounted laser guns suddenly unable to fire. "What?!"

The man was then electrocuted into submission, courtesy of Derrick draining the power out of his armor and then sending it back at its former owner through his hands.

"Well, that was quick," Chase said. "Anyone up for a smoothie?"

"I want a vanilla one!" Molly cried.

At that moment, however, a portal opened up underneath all of them, sucking the Runaways in. After falling through a vortex, the team fell out in a world entirely different from the city of Los Angeles.

In fact, there _was _no city of Los Angeles.

"Where are we?" Victor asked.

"Looks like another alternate dimension," Karolina observed.

"What happened here?" Nico asked. "Everything's so…barren. Even for LA."

"There's no LA," a familiar voice said as a hooded figure approached them. "Not anymore."

The figure lowered its hood, and there stood an alternate Nico Minoru, holding her own Staff of One.

"Cool!" Molly said. "An alternate Nico!"

"Guys, I…I need your help," Alternate Nico said. "I need your help to fix a mistake I made."

"What, you did this?" Derrick asked.

"No…well, not directly," Alternate Nico said. "See, the thing is…the Gibborim have wiped out almost everyone on the planet."

"What?!" Chase cried.

"Wait, who are the Gibborim?" Derrick asked.

"A bunch of giants who made the Pride," Gert explained. "They had our parents kill children every year and sacrifice their souls to said giants in order to power them up. The Gibborim wanted to wipe out every single person on the planet, but promised to leave six alive."

"Why didn't you stop it?!" Nico yelled at her counterpart.

"Alex, he…he offered me to be one of the six that survived, along with himself, his parents, and my parents," Alternate Nico sighed. "And I was dumb enough to accept."

"ARE YOU FLIPPIN' INSANE?!" Chase roared, the other Runaways absolutely dumbstruck. "You know that he wanted to kill everyone in the world, you know that he tried to kill the others, and you JOINED HIM?! Some friend you turned out to be!"

"I loved him, Chase," Alternate Nico replied sadly, her eyes watering. "Believe me, I've been paying for my decision. I could have stopped Alex, but I wasn't thinking straight. I let how I felt about him get in the way, and it's cost me virtually everything. He's killed the Avengers, the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, the Misfits, every human, mutant, and superhuman on the planet."

"Because you sacrificed your friends to make time with Wilder?" Derrick sneered

"Exactly," Alternate Nico nodded. "I need your help to try and fix everything. I really want things back to the way they were, but I need something the Gibborim have in order to do that."

"If you wish for redemption," Xavin said, "we will help you. Otherwise, you will find yourself in an unpleasant positon."

"I already do, uh…name please?" Alternate Nico asked.

"Oh, I'm Victor Mancha, the android son of Ultron," Victor said. "Xavin there's a Super-Skrull-in-training."

"Like that one the Fantastic Four fight?" Alternate Nico asked.

"Yes," Xavin nodded.

"Guess you two ought to come in handy," Alternate Nico said. "Assuming, of course, the others and the Gibborim don't know we're coming."

"How would he?" Victor asked.

"There's this book called the Abstract," Alternate Nico explained. "The Pride got it from the Gibborim. It tells the past, present, and future. In other words, Alex is pretty likely to know we're coming."

"All that means is that we need to move fast," said Nico, "so Alex and the remaining Pride members don't hit us first."

****

A dark-skinned boy with glasses and a rather untidy afro paged through a black book. Every page was turned by using a skeletal version of Chase's Fistigons covering his hands, long fingers at the edges of the paper. As his eyes scanned the latest page he read, the boy's mouth curved upward into a smirk.

"Try as you might, Nico," said Alex Wilder, "no one can turn this world back into the hell it was. We saw to that."


	27. Call of the Wilder

**After a long, grueling, casualty-ridden battle with the dreaded writer's block, I finally-FINALLY!-present the continuation of the Runaways' trip through a second alternate dimension!**

**DISCLAIMER: I own Derrick Bolris. The Misfitverse that this story takes place in belongs to Red Witch, and everything else belongs to Marvel.**

Chapter 27: Call of the Wilder

Alternate Nico led the Runaways across a trek of desert, eventually coming upon what looked like an average observatory. As she led them inside, however, she flipped a switch and an elevator carried the teens down into a massive basement.

"What is this place?" Victor asked.

"This is one of the Vivariums the Gibborim set up," Alternate Nico explained. "The Pride sacrificed the souls of children here, feeding them to the Gibborim for almost two decades."

"That is horrific," Xavin snarled. "Even we Skrulls have some sense of honor."

"Mostly you, though," Derrick pointed out.

"Why are we here?" Nico asked her counterpart. "What's so special about this Vivarium?"

"I had my own copy of the Abstract," Alternate Nico answered. "If we can find it before Alex and his parents know we're coming, we might be able to get an advantage."

She pressed a button, which triggered a sliding door, only to reveal a pedestal with absolutely nothing on it.

"Oh, great," Alternate Nico sighed. "Guess we're too late."

"You most certainly are," a voice said.

Through a door came Alex Wilder, along with two adults. The first was a bald man with a goatee, the second was a woman with her black hair in a short ponytail. Alex narrowed his eyes.

"I can't believe you'd do this, Nico," Alex said.

"You'll have to be more specific, Alex," Nico pointed out.

"Alex, please just leave," Alternate Nico pleaded. "I love you, really, but this world…I don't care if it's peaceful, I'll take an imperfect world with people over a lifeless husk any day."

"Sorry to hear that," said Alex's father.

"You were a better person than your parents were, Nico," Alex's mother said, "I won't deny that. But, if you truly loved my son, you wouldn't do this."

"She doesn't have to," Karolina said.

"So _these _are the alternate-dimension counterparts, huh?" Mr. Wilder said. He paused for a moment. "Damn, suddenly I sound like Stein."

"Don't worry about it, honey," Mrs. Wilder comforted her husband. "Kids, I hate to break it to you, but we're going to have to kill you, just as we did Nico's traitorous parents."

"Mom, Dad…please spare Nico," Alex said.

"Alex?" Alternate Nico asked, hope in her voice.

Alex held up one skeletal Fistigon, allowing it to blaze angrily.

"I want to teach her some manners first," Alex growled.

"You know," Derrick said, "with that light, your hair looks even worse."

Alex put out the fire from his Fistigon and glared at Derrick.

"I would think someone who was dissected by his parents would know better than to judge someone by appearance," Alex sneered.

"I'm not," Derrick said. "I'm judging by everything else I've been told about you."

"That I'm a 'delusional piece of crap', as you call it?" Alex smirked. "Hardly. My parents are the ones who acted out the Gibborim's plans."

"And yet you supported their efforts," Xavin snarled. "Derrick is right. None of you are heroes…you are only monsters."

"And jerks!" Molly added.

For the first time, Alex and his parents looked slightly confused. They quickly regained their composure, however.

"Why don't we settle this somewhere out in the open?" Mr. Wilder proposed. "That way, no one has to get hurt…much."

"Time and place," Nico said sternly.

"The aquatic Vivarium," Alex said in the same tone, "three hours. We'll be waiting."

With that, Alex and his parents left.

"Well, it figures the past would come back to us," Gert sighed. "Personally, I didn't think it would be with a showdown at high noon."

Two and a half hours later, the Runaways and Alternate Nico stood on a beach, preparing to descend into the depths.

"Oh, God," Derrick shuddered.

"It's okay," Nico said, putting a comforting arm around him. "I know you have issues with water, but we need to go down there. We only have a half hour left."

"Question is, how _do_ we get down there?" Gert asked.

"Yeah, we don't have the Leapfrog," Chase pointed out. "Uh…we don't, right?"

"You mean this?" Alternate Nico smirked, holding out the Staff of One. "**Let's play leapfrog!"**

In a flash, Alternate Nico's version of the Leapfrog appeared beside the group. Unlike the Runaways' normal Leapfrog, this one more resembled a flying hovercraft.

"Sweet!" Chase yelled, immediately dashing for the cockpit.

"I call shotgun!" Victor cried.

At this, Alternate Nico gazed sadly.

"Are you all right?" Karolina asked gently.

"I-I'm fine," Alternate Nico sighed as the remaining Runaways piled into the Alternate Leapfrog. "It's just…it's been so long since I last saw all of you. Seeing them like this makes me feel happy…and sad…it's really weird."

"Trust me, I know the feeling," Karolina smiled. "Come on, we have a date with Alex."

As the final minutes ticked away, the Runaways entered the giant aquatic dome that served as a Vivarium for the Pride. Alex and his parents were already waiting, smirking.

"Welcome to the site of our final battle," Alex said, "in more ways than one."

"What's he talking about?" Derrick asked, trying his best to not let his fear of the surrounding water overwhelm his mind.

"We beat Alex and his jerky parents here back in our place," Molly explained.

"Not here," Mr. Wilder said. "Here, Nico chose to stay with our son."

"It's a decision I'm really regretting," Alternate Nico snarled.

"Sorry, Nico," Alex said, "but it's time you learned how things work in this day and age."

"Starting now!" cried Mrs. Wilder, pulling out a gun along with her husband.

"I got this!" Victor cried, firing his electricity at the guns, only to find that they had no effect. "What?"

"Plastic," Mr. Wilder smirked. "Not only are they non-magnetic, but they're resistant to electricity. In other words, you won't be taking anything of ours."

He looked to his son.

"Alex, we can handle Nico's playmates," Mr. Wilder said. "How about you deal with Nico herself?"

"My pleasure," Alex grinned darkly.

"You're going down, Alex," Alternate Nico growled, preparing the Staff of One.

"And your 'rents are going with you!" Chase snapped, preparing his Fistigons.

"Why bother trying?" Alex asked as he activated his own Fistigons. "You don't have anything left to fight for in this dimension. Why would you even resist?"

"It's called 'sticking by your friends'," Derrick growled. "You wouldn't understand."

"We'll see about that!" Alex cried.

And the battle began.


	28. Wilder Things!

***pant, pant* FINALLY I BRING THIS OUT! THAT TOOK SO LONG!**

**DISCLAIMER: I own Derrick Bolris. The Misfitverse this takes place in belongs to Red Witch, the characters of G.I. Joe belong to Hasbro, and everything else belongs to Marvel.**

Chapter 28: Wilder Things!

"I heard you were a child prodigy, Alex!" Victor cried, defending both the Nicos from the Runaways' former leader. "Killing everything on Earth doesn't seem that smart, does it?"

"So…Victor, was it?" Alex said to the cyborg Latino as the latter attempted to shock Alex with electricity. "Can I ask you a question?'

"Depends on what it is!" Victor snapped, firing another electrical blast, only for Alex to deflect the bolt using his Fistigons.

"Tell me," Alex continued, "if God could make a sandwich so big that even He couldn't finish it."

"What kind of question is that?" Victor cried.

"So, you don't know?" Alex smirked. "I thought you were raised by a devoutly Catholic mother and programmed for logic by Ultron."

"Okay, fine!" Victor snapped. "If God made a sandwich…uh…so big that..."

Victor suddenly collapsed, his body bursting with sparks as if he had been electrocuted. He began babbling in binary, twitching on the ground slightly.

"Victor!" Karolina cried, blasting away Alex's mother. "What did you do to him?"

"Funny thing," Alex said. "Apparently, Mr. Roboto here can't answer a question that requires both logic and faith. If he tries, he basically goes into overload, like so."

He gestured to Victor's jerking body.

"As for the rest of you," Alex continued, "you'll have to go down with a little more difficulty…and a little more pain, too."

He released a wave of flame from his Fistigons, which Xavin and Karolina blocked by combining their energies into a single force field. With all of the Runaways underneath the barrier, enduring Alex's fire and his parents' bullets, there were obviously some concerns.

"What do we do _now_?" Chase cried. "We can't just sit here and get shot!

"I don't think we can maintain this field for long, either!" Xavin added.

"And with Victor explaining why any non-Mac computers are evil, we're down one!" cried Gert.

"This isn't going as well as I'd hoped," Alternate Nico muttered.

"You think?" Chase yelled.

"We need a plan," Derrick said, "and we need it so badly it isn't funny."

At that moment, however, the Wilders' combined assault forced down Xavin and Karolina's shield.

"Know what, Der?" Gert said. "I completely agree."

"So, this is how it ends," Mr. Wilder smirked. "Seems we're also ridding another dimension of its brats."

"The less resistance, the better," Mrs. Wilder said. "Alex, I think you've earned the honor of finishing off these pests."

"Alex, please," Alternate Nico begged. "Don't do this."

"You're still trying reason after seeing how freaking loony he is?" Derrick asked. "Seriously?"

"Loony, huh?" Alex said. "This coming from the mentally-fragile mutant? The one whose family was nowhere near as decent as mine?"

Derrick's eyes grew cold.

"Don't even think about it, Wilder," he growled.

"I mean," Alex continued, ignoring Derrick's threat, "my parents were working to save the world from itself. Yours? They were just a couple of anti-mutant supporters gone wild. And, thanks to their lack of actual love and general insanity, they made you nothing more than an angst-filled…hydrophobic…_monster_."

"I wasn't the monster," Derrick quietly growled. "_They _were the monsters."

"Must run in the family," Alex smirked. "How are you any different from the X-Men, anyway? You're running around and saving the day, just like Bayville's resident mutant heroes. And what's more—hang on…"

Alex paused, swiftly striking Old Lace in the mouth, the latter having attempted a charge at him.

"Anyway, where was I?" Alex asked of no one in particular.

"You were about to get your %*& kicked, Wilder," Chase snapped, firing off a blast of flame. Alex, however, simply redirected the flame and used it to do something truly callous and cold-hearted.

He sent the fire at Nico.

Nico was quickly caught in the blaze, screaming from the pain. Her staff slipped out of her hand instantly as she fell to the ground, rolling around in an attempt to put out the fire.

"NICO!" Derrick yelled, rushing to her side along with the other Runaways.

"Oh, I remember where I was now," Alex said. "Bolris, you're just a street urchin like your new friends. You're a great big nobody, you know that?"

"I don't give a damn what you have to say, Wilder," Derrick spat as Xavin managed to use Mr. Fantastic's powers to smother the fire. "Does torturing people, especially the ones you're supposed to care about, give you some sick thrill?"

"Not really, actually," Alex shrugged, "but I know what's going to happen next."

"What's that?" Molly asked.

"This," Alex said, pointing his hands at the Runaways and firing off a colossal blast of flame, a blast that would have killed them had it not been for one person.

Alternate Nico.

"**Circle backwards!**" Alternate Nico yelled, her own Staff of One sending out a wave of energy that repelled the flames of Alex's Fistigons. Alex quickly compressed the flames into a small cube that he easily dispatched with a flick of his fingers.

"Showing your true colors, are you?" Alex said.

"We should have known you weren't right for Alex," Mrs. Wilder said.

"That makes two of us," Alternate Nico spat. "I let my feelings for you blind me. I've let you kill all of my only friends because of that blindness. Now, I think I just got my sight back."

"Good," Alex said. "Then that means I won't feel bad about killing you."

"The feeling is completely mutual," Xavin snarled, her arms becoming rock-like.

"I really wanna kick your butt!" Molly cried.

"Don't we all?" Gert added, Old Lace joining her.

"Then let's finish this," Alex smirked.

"I think I will," Alternate Nico growled, coming to the front of the group. "So, Alex, mind if I show off a little something I picked up from my parents before I found out you killed them?"

Without waiting for an answer, she raised her staff high into the air.

"**Prodigium effodio!**" she cried.

From the ground burst the massive energy-like form of a red beast with pointy ears and a wide, smirking mouth. The beast decimated the floor in mere seconds, somehow while not moving an inch, and quickly crushed the Wilders under a pile of debris. Noticing the water beginning to pour in (and Derrick's shivering of fear), Nico raised her own staff into the air.

"**Get us to safety!**" Nico yelled, and all the Runaways—plus Alternate Nico—disappeared in a flash.

Just as had happened in the Runaways' normal reality, the underwater Vivarium was crushed into pieces, with Alex and his parents inside.

* * *

Finding themselves back on the beach, the Runaways and Alternate Nico all released a collective sigh of relief, realizing the end of their long adventure.

"Thank you all for your help," Alternate Nico said. "I guess I should get used to being the last person in the world."

"You sure about that?" Derrick asked.

"What do you mean?" Alternate Nico asked.

"Hey, I can't summon a huge monster like you did," Nico said. "If you can do that, you can probably find a way to turn back time or something and fix everything that you messed up."

"First, though, a couple favors," Gert said. "Number one, how do we get Victor to stop spazzing?"

Indeed, Victor was still jerking about uncontrollably and spewing sparks everywhere.

"Hang on, I think there was something in the Abstract about that," said Alternate Nico, scratching her head. "Oh, yeah…yes, Victor, God could make a sandwich so big that even He couldn't finish it. And then He would finish it."

"Ugh…what?" Victor sputtered as he got up. "What happened?"

"That's it?" Chase asked.

"There's two more questions along those lines," Alternate Nico said. "Might want to be careful."

"Noted," Gert said. "And as for the second favor…how about sending us back?"

"Can do," Alternate Nico smiled. "**Back you go.**"

The Runaways then disappeared, leaving Alternate Nico alone. For a moment, she paused to collect herself. And then, she performed another spell.

"**Let me start over,**" she said.

Having no idea what the spell would accomplish, Alternate Nico felt uneasy when the world seemed to begin to blur around her. In seconds, however, she found something she never thought she would see again.

Alex Wilder was alive, and so were his parents. Beside them were her own parents, garbed in red robes complete with hoods. But behind her was the sight that she wished to see most of all.

Her version of the Runaways—though Victor, Derrick, and Xavin were not present—was completely alive. Chase, Molly, Gert and Karolina were all alive, albeit unconscious.

"Nico, we can make this world better…together," Alex said, offering his hand to her. "What do you say? Maybe we could even tell this story to, well…our children."

Alternate Nico paused for a moment. Knowing of what had happened when she accepted, she knew exactly what she was to do.

She punched Alex in the face, following up with a quick kick to his stomach.

"Not even if you really _were _the last boy on Earth," she spat.

In her mind, however, she added one more thing.

"_Thank you all,_" she thought, hoping her experiences with her counterparts would help her further.

Her team rose and came to her aid. To the Runaways who had helped her, this was just another daily occurrence. To Alternate Nico, however, it was almost heaven.

"Okay, guys," she said to her team as she prepared her staff. "Try not to die."

* * *

**Sorry this took so long...but now that our adventures in the second alternate dimension are FINALLY finished, we can move on to other thrills! FINALLY! FIIINNNAAAAALLLLYYYY!**


	29. How the Runaways Saved Christmas

**Merry Christmas, everyone! In honor of the holiday season, I present to you a Runaways Christmas special. Behold the weirdest and shortest Christmas special you'll ever see.**

**DISCLAIMER: I own Derrick Bolris and Squelch. The Misfitverse that this takes place in belongs to Red Witch, the characters of G.I. Joe belong to Hasbro, and everything else belongs to Marvel.**

Chapter 29: How the Runaways Saved Christmas

One week after the Runaways' second adventure in an alternate dimension, December came to Los Angeles. Despite the lack of snow, the Runaways still found ways to amuse themselves. One way in particular, however, did not sit well with Xavin.

"This is unbelievable!" Xavin cried. "I control the entire continent of Asia! How could I have lost?"

"You need to pick the pretty countries," Molly said, "like that one that looks like a little jelly bean."

"Xavin, sweetie, it's just a game," Karolina said to her partner.

Xavin and Molly had sat down to play a game of Risk. Surprisingly, despite having actual war training, Xavin actually lost to an eleven-year-old girl who had a preference for "conquering" countries with colors and shapes she found attractive. Nonetheless, the remaining Runaways took a more observant approach to the coming season.

"Christmas is coming, bring on the eggnog!" Chase cried happily.

"I can already tell that this isn't going to end well," Victor said, noting Chase's enthusiasm.

"Agreed," said Gert.

"So, how do you guys celebrate Christmas?" Derrick asked.

"Pretty much the same way everyone else celebrates it," Nico replied, "except our lack of cash means fewer presents."

"Apparently we're not the only ones without much cash," Gert interjected, Old Lace staring inquisitively at an unfolding story in the news. "Someone's decided to take up on a few five-finger discounts for a string of stores."

"Guess we're getting some Christmas fights in," Nico said.

* * *

"Christmas shall be no more!" cackled a strange man as he exited a store, full bags in his fists. "Once I am through, nothing will be celebrated on December twenty-fifth!"

It was at that point that the Leapfrog landed in front of the strange man. The Runaways piled out, but the moment they caught sight of their intended foe, they stopped and stared. Very rarely had any of them seen something so strange.

The man was covered in green fur, making him look like an ape that had an obsession with green hair dye. In addition, he wore a genuine Santa hat along with a matching bathrobe and red cloth shoes. His yellow eyes stared back at the Runaways, disturbing them even more.

"It's the Grinch!" Molly cried happily.

"This town is _seriously _out of ideas," Karolina sighed.

"Okay, uh…boy, I have no idea what to say to this guy," Nico said.

"I am the Squelch!" cried the man. "I shall steal Christmas and wreak revenge for the day my mutation manifested!"

"Wait, you're a mutant?" Derrick asked. "I guess it would be a dumb question to ask if you intended to look like a knock-off of the Grinch, then."

"Hey, you know something?" Victor said. "He looks a lot like Beast from the X-Men!"

"Only if Beast decided to go green," Derrick said, "in more ways than one."

"No one ignores the Squelch!" Squelch roared in response to the Runaways' discussion. "If I couldn't ruin Christmas in my reality, I'll ruin it in this one!"

"And how exactly do you plan to enact a tired holiday cliché?" Gert asked.

"With no presents, there can be no Christmas!" Squelch cackled.

"That's not true and you know it," Karolina said. "Christmas doesn't come from a store. It's not even about giving or receiving. It's about your family and friends, the people you care about. It's like they said in the Grinch…'Christmas day is in our grasp, so long as we have hands to clasp'. You can't stop people from caring about each other, Squelch, any more than you can stop the wind from blowing or the planet from spinning."

When Karolina finished her speech, she not only found Squelch staring at her, she found the rest of her team doing the same.

"Really, Kar?" Derrick said. "Seriously?"

"Wow, that's just sad," Chase laughed.

"Much as we all know the whole meaning of Christmas from growing up on holiday specials," Nico said, "did you really have to go through all the cliché stuff?"

"Yeah, you're probably right," Karolina said.

"My heart!" Squelch suddenly cried, dropping his bags and grabbing his chest. "It's…it's grown three sizes today!"

"Okay, now this is just getting stupid," Chase said.

"I must return to my reality and re-assume my role as Henry McCoy, member of the X-Men!" Squelch cried. "Farewell!"

And with that, Squelch jumped into a sleigh-like car and drove off.

"This has been the weirdest day of my life," Derrick said.

"Get used to it," Nico said, "we get this kind of stuff a lot."


End file.
